Frustrated Blackpool boss Steve Bruce said the only positive from the dour goalless draw with injury-hit Northampton was the performance of his backline.
Seasiders’ goalkeeper Richard O’Donnell produced a couple of decent saves to keep the game goalless.
However, Rob Apter missed with the goal gaping when clean through right at the end of the Bloomfield Road stalemate.
Bruce said: “I’m frustrated, I’m disappointed. A bit of both really. The only positives when I look at the afternoon are defensively.
“We kept a clean sheet and the goalkeeper’s made a couple of good saves when we needed him.
“Overall, I don’t think many neutrals would be tuning into that one again.
“That’s one place we need to improve is the injuries. CJ Hamilton’s hurt himself in the same area again. I think that’s eight injuries we have now and it’s scary.
“Rob Apter was the bright spark. If anything was going to happen at the top end it was through him. I thought it was a cracking chance for him right at the end there and thought he would take it. But it is what it is.”
Bruce’s team are at Bolton next Saturday and the experienced boss continued: “We’ll look at what we’ve got. Count the bodies and see what we can do for next week.
“We’ve had two or three really good chances later on and didn’t take them.
“But if I’m honest we huffed and puffed all day, nothing really more than that.”
A point apiece meant both sides pushed themselves a point further away from the relegation zone.
Northampton have injury problems but it was a second successive draw and boss Jon Brady said: “You take the draw, but we had some really good chances.
“I’ve got to compliment Burgey (goalkeeper Lee Burge) on a good save towards the end. It’s a good effort from the young lad and you don’t expect that as a keeper but he gets down very low and it is an exceptional save.
“You have to praise the whole group because we are limited on numbers and they were fantastic.
“That’s an exceptional point for us with where we are bodies-wise and it’s only one loss in six for us.
“We had some chances. Foxy (Benjamin Fox) had the header from the corner and Richard O’Donnell’s made another really good save. So I thought our game plan worked really well in that respect.
“Our shape was really good and we worked the ball well. We made some good inroads in the final third and on another day you could nick it.”
Interim boss Stephen Frail expects Motherwell to appoint a new manager next week and admits their first job will be to lift the players’ confidence after a 3-0 mauling at home to Ross County.A double from Ronan Hale and Connor Randall’s last-minute strike secured an impressive victory for the Staggies at Fir Park.Defeat sees the Steelmen drop into the bottom half of the Premiership tab...
Mark Hughes heaped praise on goalkeeper Gabe Breeze after Carlisle picked up a vital point in the League Two relegation battle with a goalless draw against in-form Colchester at Brunton Park.Breeze made two excellent saves from Lyle Taylor as the Cumbrians ended a four-game losing run and the former Man City boss was astounded by the 21-year-old’s performance.He said: “The game had som...
Chesterfield boss Paul Cook launched a scathing attack on his play-off hopefuls after they surrendered an early lead to lose 3-1 at Sky Bet League Two table-toppers Walsall.The Spireites enjoyed a rapid start when Jamie Grimes’ eighth-minute header put them ahead against a wobbling Walsall side, who were winless in five matches with the chasing pack closing in.However, Bim Pepple and Dylan D...
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has allayed fears of an injury scare to top scorer Erling Haaland ahead of next week’s Champions League trip to Real Madrid.Haaland went down clutching his leg in the latter stages of the champions’ 4-0 Premier League thrashing of Newcastle at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday and was immediately substituted.Losing the Norwegian would be a major blow to ...
Rotherham manager Steve Evans described Thomas Parsons’ performance as “atrocious” after the referee awarded a stoppage-time penalty from which Reading snatched a 2-1 victory in League One.Reading had led 1-0 at half-time through top scorer Harvey Knibbs but Sam Nombe levelled for Rotherham from a spot-kick in the 57th minute.With the game heading for a draw, Parsons adjudged Mil...
Michael Flynn believes his team can make a charge towards the League Two play-offs places after watching them come from 2-0 down to beat Barrow 3-2 at home.Matty Taylor scored twice before fellow substitute Ashley Hay hit the winner as the Robins continued their perfect home record in 2025.Cheltenham climbed to 13th in the table and sit eight points off seventh-placed Crewe with two games in hand....
Birmingham manager Chris Davies praised Jay Stansfield’s work ethic after he lit up St Andrew’s with the only goal of a 1-0 win to sink play-off chasing Charlton.Stansfield’s 23rd-minute strike stretched City’s lead to nine points ahead of second-placed Wycombe, with Blues boasting a game in hand.Victory was City’s 30th in all competitions as they extended their unbea...
Andoni Iraola refused to get carried away after Bournemouth fans were left dreaming of a potential Champions League adventure following a first league double over south-coast rivals Southampton.Travelling Cherries fans chanted of playing in European football’s premier competition next season after their side soared to fifth spot in the Premier League table thanks to a deserved 3-1 success at...
Norwich head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup praised his side for fighting back to draw 1-1 at Hull after he demanded “I want to see my football team back”.The Norwich boss had some tough words for his team as they trailed 1-0 at half-time to the relegation-threatened side, including for Kellen Fisher – but the player then delivered the assist for Josh Sargent’s equaliser.The Un...
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers says Jota has a chance of starting against Bayern Munich after scoring and impressing in a 3-0 victory over Dundee United.Jota earned the club’s man-of-the-match award after cutting in from the left and curling home from 18 yards to double the lead given to the hosts by another impressive finish from Callum McGregor.The Portuguese winger has now started two gam...
