Pressley: Today's huge in League One battle

Steven Pressley believes today could be a defining afternoon in the League One relegation battle.
Fleetwood Town manager Steven PressleyFleetwood Town manager Steven Pressley
Fleetwood Town manager Steven Pressley

All eight teams in danger of the drop are in action today, with two facing each other when Blackpool take on Colchester at Bloomfield Road.

Fleetwood currently sit just a point ahead of Oldham who occupy the final relegation place at present, and face a tough away day at Southend.

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And come 5pm Pressley feels the picture could be much clearer.

“I think it’s a big day for all of the bottom clubs,” he said.

“There’s a fixture involving Blackpool and Colchester and that could be a defining fixture for both teams.

“So it’s a big weekend, and there are another five teams fighting for their lives at the moment.

“It looks like it could go right down to the wire.

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“There have been certain years when 48 points have been enough for survival in League One, it looks like that isn’t going to be the case this year.

“That will make it a really tense last six games of the season.

“At this moment in time there are eight teams fighting for those four places, but today it could become five teams fighting for one place.

“We just have to take care of ourselves.”

Fleetwood face a Southend side this afternoon who have very little to play for in the middle of League One after faint hopes of a play-off push were ended by a 2-0 defeat against Blackpool last weekend.

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And after two draws and a win improved confidence around Highbury, Pressley is in no doubt his side can – and will – survive.

“We can get out of this, there’s no doubt about it.

“We’ve drawn our last two away games and won at home on Tuesday and that’s made everyone feel much better.

“There’s a great spirit about the players at the moment.

“The only problem about Tuesday’s win is that we couldn’t enjoy it as the games come so thick and fast.

“So we’ve already forgotten that now and we are on to Southend this afternoon.”

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Fleetwood currently sit on 45 points, six short of the probable 51 they’ll need to avoid the drop.

Since taking over from Graham Alexander, Pressley’s side have been hard to beat, often losing by a single goal. And it is something the manager is desperate to change.

He said: “I was looking at some statistics and in the league and we have been involved in more games decided by one goal than anyone else.

“That shows even when we have lost we’ve always been in games.

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“We aren’t winning enough of those games, especially away from home.

“We have to now turn those tight games into our favour, and we can do that by scoring more goals.

“We work very hard on the counter-attack away from home.

“I think we counter with real purpose and it’s good to see.”