McDonald sets five-win target for Blackpool

One point from four games last month saw the Seasiders tumble to 20th in League One ahead of tonight’s huge relegation six-pointer at Chesterfield.

Only goal difference separates Pool from the drop zone but victory by more than one goal tonight would see them overtake Danny Wilson’s 18th-placed Spireites.

And with 13 games remaining, McDonald said: “Five wins would be excellent.

“Any team which gets five wins between now and the end of the season will have a good chance.

“I think it will be tight but we have to try to pick points up all the way.”

Seven of Blackpool’s nine wins this season have come at Bloomfield Road, with Scunthorpe and Wigan the only places McDonald’s men have enjoyed victories away from home.

Tonight Pool travel to Chesterfield’s Proact Stadium for the first time, and McDonald feels it’s time his side picked up an unexpected boost.

He said: “They are all tough away from home and we’ve only won two.

“If we can pick any points up away from home it will be an extra bonus.”

Blackpool have won only two of their 10 games since the turn of the year, losing five, but despite their poor form McDonald is hoping his side can drag themselves out of trouble.

“We have done it before and I’m sure we can do it again,” he said, referring to a run of three successive wins in the run-up to Christmas.

“We just need to stick the ball in the back of the net. ‘Clinical’ is a word I like to use and we haven’t been clinical enough lately. I’ll take a tap-in at the moment ... anything!”

Chesterfield, by contrast, are in great form after back to back victories.

Saturday’s 2-1 win at third-placed Gillingham surprised many and lifted them three points above Pool.

And McDonald is expecting the hosts to be full of beans this evening.

“They’ll come into the game at home feeling confident about themselves and we have to ready,” he said.

“We are confident we can go there and get a result.”