Blackpool boss Terry McPhillips rues defensive errors

Posted Wednesday, January 30, 2019 by PA

Terry McPhillips thinks Blackpool’s defensive errors prevented them from taking all three points as they could only draw 2-2 with Wycombe.

Harry Pritchard snatched a point from the penalty spot after Wycombe had twice led at Bloomfield Road.

But McPhillips wanted more from a game that could have seen them gain crucial ground on the play-off places.

“We haven’t defended well enough tonight and we have got to do better with both goals, it is as simple as that really,” he said.

“Considering we scored late on it is disappointing that we haven’t won the game. We were probably the dominant team, but we didn’t defend the set plays very well and we paid the price.

“We are disappointed, it didn’t go very well from the first minute, with Jay Spearing’s injury so we will have to assess that and see where we are with it.

“We didn’t do enough tonight to create good chances; we created chances, but I thought with all the play that we had, we didn’t create enough.

“We are pleased to get the goals we did, but we are really disappointed with the goals that we conceded tonight.

Adebayo Akinfenwa had put the Chairboys ahead, nodding home from a Joe Jacobson corner, before Ben Heneghan levelled for the Tangerines.

Jacobson restored Wanderers’ lead soon after his low corner evaded everyone to nestle into Christoffer Mafoumbi’s goal, but again the Pool equalised with Pritchard slotting from 12-yards to earn the hosts a point.

And despite his side twice blowing winning positions, Wycombe boss Gareth Ainsworth was happy with his spoils given the tough conditions as they sit ninth, a point behind Blackpool in League One.

“It is a good point and that’s all it is tonight,” he said.

“The pitch was terrible, the game off at three and four o’clock and then it was on at five o’clock, so thank you to the groundsman for getting the game on.

“The game wasn’t a great spectacle at all, I’m not going to pretend it was, and it’s great when managers can talk about the football, but let me tell you about the football: us going forward, our two set plays were great, we had a game plan, and if you asked me if I’d have taken a point before the game, I probably would have.”

“I think that Blackpool are a good side; I think Blackpool are very underestimated in this league and they are a very good side with some very good players. I’m not surprised to see them around the top end of the table, and I feel that is a great point away from home at Bloomfield Road.”