Blackpool hoping to build a playoff push against relegation-threatened Northampton

Neil Critchley’s Seasiders will see Tuesday’s game at Bloomfield Road as a chance to pick up consecutive victories for the first time since early December following their 5-0 demolition of Wigan.

Blackpool sit 15th in the League One table, nine points from the playoff places with a couple of games in hand. Meanwhile, the Cobblers are 20th and perilously close to the drop zone, a point off albeit with two games in hand on AFC Wimbledon in 21st.

It is important for the Tangerines to put a run of games together with their grip on the playoff places faltering each passing week. They may well be without Ethan Robson and MJ Williams with both linked with a move away from Bloomfield Road to Motherwell and Bolton respectively.

There will be hope that recent absentees Dan Ballard, Daniel Gretarsson, Grant Ward and Kenny Dougall will be back although it is expected to be too soon for most of them following their isolation periods and injuries.

Northampton will be without key men Alan Sheehan, Jack Sowerby and new signing Mickel Miller through injury in a key game for them in their fight against relegation.

Blackpool have improved in recent weeks and look to have recaptured the form that saw them shoot up the division in November with an impressive 5-0 victory at the DW Stadium against Wigan in midweek.

They will look to play a 4-4-2 with Jerry Yates and Gary Madine leading the line and looking to press high to cause issues for the Northampton backline.

Keith Curle’s side head into this one without a win in three league games, albeit they put in steady performances against good sides in Sunderland, Lincoln and Fleetwood. They are a stubborn defensive unit and Blackpool will have to keep their composure and be ruthless in taking their chances to take all three points in this one.

That is something the Seasiders have struggled to do so far this campaign with a spell over the Christmas period where they failed to score in three of their four games, despite putting three past promotion challengers Hull.

This shows the inconsistent nature of their season and it is something that Critchley has looked to address with the addition of Ellis Simms on loan from Everton, who scored a brace in their most recent outing.

It is expected that an incoming or two will arrive at Blackpool by the end of deadline day, with one of the positions looking to be strengthened being the left wing with Sullay Kaikai out of form at the moment.

The Cobblers transfer business is done for the window and they will look to rely on Shaun McWilliams in midfield, who has been an impressive figure in a largely uninspiring season for Curle’s men.

Other new man Bryn Morris will be another solid force for Northampton to rely on in this one, with his defensive attributes helping his side remain relatively solid at the back in recent weeks, despite a struggle to build on that in a forward sense.

Expectations for this one have to be a home victory. This is a game where Blackpool can lay out their intentions as to whether they will make a push for promotion this season, or coast to a mid-table finish.

The noise from the club has been a view towards promotion this season and with such a major outlay in the summer window, they will be disappointed if the campaign fades into obscurity at such an early stage.

But Northampton will be tough opponents for the Seasiders, they will see this as a game which can begin a revival and help them get out a relegation trouble before the season comes to a conclusion. They will rely on solidity at the back and try to build on that, so it is vital that they stay in the game as long as possible.

A big game this at both ends of the table.

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