Neil Critchley feels that Blackpool’s 1-1 draw away to Oxford United demonstrated everything that the team is capable of. Greg Leigh’s first-half goal was cancelled out by a late equalizer from Jordan Rhodes, and the Seasiders left the Kassam Stadium with a well-earned point.
For the first time this season, his team overcame a deficit, and Critchley was proud of their perseverance. “I always said when I first came to the club that we’d have a team that represented the local population,” the man added. “Never say die is what this club is all about; no matter the outcome, we give it our all and play to the absolute end. Even in the games we lost this season, we have performed that. “You need that during trying times, and we abundantly demonstrated who we are. “The players are a great group of people to work with and are honest.” We’ll keep going forward if we continue to put on shows like that.
“Prize goes to Oxford; they played brilliantly and controlled the game; we didn’t play with enough intensity before the break, with the exception of the goal, which we defended horribly. “The goal was the perfect example of how we were too distant and a touch too passive. “We were down 1-0 because we switched off and didn’t protect the ball into the box well enough. “It entirely altered in the second half. We played the game to Oxford and came out with greater intensity.
The least we deserved was a point because we were the more aggressive team and the one in control of the game both with and without the ball. “We could have continued and won the game if we had scored with ten minutes remaining. “You assume it won’t be your day when injury time comes, but this team never lets us down. “It’s incredibly significant that this is the first occasion this season that we have overcome a deficit to win something. “We were playing precisely like I wanted us to—dominance with the ball and possession. “There are moments when moving forward requires moving backward and sideways. “I thought we had them, and the replacements were helpful.”
