Blackpool's defensive problems were laid bare again in a 3-2 defeat away to Wigan Athletic in the EFL Trophy. The result at the Brick Community Stadium on Tuesday extends a concerning run of form for the Seasiders, who have now lost four of their last five matches across all competitions.
Assistant coach Stephen Crainey delivered a blunt assessment after the game. "Firstly, really disappointed to lose the game, but we didn’t start well at all, conceding the goal through a deflection put us on the back foot straight away," Crainey said.
Connor Barrett gave Wigan the lead inside three minutes, his shot taking a deflection to beat the goalkeeper. Scott Hogan doubled the home side's advantage just before the hour mark. Blackpool fought back with a Tom Bloxham penalty in the 72nd minute, but Fraser Murray restored Wigan's two-goal cushion six minutes later. A late consolation from Jerry Yates, set up by Leighton Clarkson, could not spark a comeback.
Crainey's priority
The defeat leaves Blackpool 15th in the League One table with eight points from seven games, having conceded 13 goals already this season. Crainey identified the international break as a critical period for improvement. "We’re really disappointed to lose the game," he said. "We’re just conceding too many goals at the moment, and we need to work on that during this international break."
The team's recent results show a clear pattern. They followed a 4-0 win over Peterborough at the end of August with a 2-1 loss at Barnsley, a 3-1 defeat at Reading, a 2-2 draw with Bromley, and a 4-2 home loss to Plymouth before this latest setback. You can review the full sequence on our fixtures page.
Blackpool return to league action away at Notts County on Saturday, 26 September. Notts County currently sit 20th in the table, offering Neil Critchley's side a chance to arrest their slide. The squad's current defensive record and league position are detailed in our standings section.
More detail at Blackpool Gazette
