Blackpool Reaction

After the crushing defeat inflicted by Blackpool at Dean Court, manager Kevin Bond was quoted on BBC Radio Solent as saying: "To say I was frustrated is probably the understatement of the year. I thought we have done well first half, started really well against a side that is going well. I was pleased. Obviously we lack a threat up front which we know about. We had two target men up there and we did great last week and I thought in fairness, in the first half we did well again. It isn't going to be easy, they have got a good side and we come in at half time and I thought we didn't look in any great danger. Just need to keep our concentration and work for a break and hope you get it. The plan was Sam Vokes is new to it all and he held the ball up for us and allowed people to get to join him and I thought he'd last maybe an hour and then I would try to bring Brett Pitman on as I did last week, he would give us an option in behind. And then within seven minutes of the second half we were two nil down, it's shades of Port Vale really, effectively the game was over. I don't think, if you look at the goals that we conceded, that Blackpool have really had to work that hard to score the goals. That is the disappointing part about it. It's not like we've been put under the cosh, been put under severe pressure and then all of a sudden we capitulated. That isn't the case at all. There was a little bit of a misunderstanding on the halfway line and the fellow has gone through and smashed it in. And then two people going for the ball on the halfway line, neither of them win it - two poor goals from our point of view and the game is over".

Steve Fletcher also chipped in with some comment after the Blackpool defeat by saying: "Once again, same as, dejected and I feel absolutely gutted. The players gave it everything first half, I thought we were different class. But we just gifted them two goals in the second half. You just can't do that and expect to get results. I thought we could really kick off the Christmas campaign with a good win at home but it was thrown back in our faces. Time for characters. We started the first ten minutes on fire with three or four shots, got on top of them and never really let them get a foothold of the game. Even for most of the first half, they had a couple of half chances and corners, but for most of the first half we were the better team. But you always feel that we have got to score one when we are on top. That's the way things are panning out this season, if we don't score when we are having a good period then we seem to get punished when we have a hiccup or make a little mistake. And that's what happened. Seven minutes into the second half and you can't justify being two-nil down. Two bad mistakes, that's all you can say. The lad finished the second one well but let's be fair, he had a lot of room to curl it in. You can't legislate for bad mistakes and we seem to get punished for every one we do".