Blackpool easily sussed a one-dimensional Northampton to breeze to victory at Bloomfield Road

This was a game that the Seasiders simply had to win if they harbour realistic expectations of a playoff push, and they did just that. In professional style to boot.

It was a match that showcased Neil Critchley’s ability to adapt a system based on the opposition in front of him. Early into the game it was clear that Northampton’s game plan was to push their wing backs high and wide, so much so that in spells they sat on the last Blackpool defender.

They set up in a 3-5-2 in attacking phases, falling into a 5-3-2 in defence, with Peter Kioso and Joseph Mills the men sitting high. But there was a key issue with that system, the central defenders for Cobblers did not trust each other on the ball.

The early spell of the play saw the Tangerines continue to high press the three Northampton defenders who would panic quickly under pressure and resort to an aimless long play to Ryan Edmondson. Now Edmondson is a physical striker but Marvin Ekpiteta is a level above most in this division and he proved it again.

Ekpiteta won eight aerial challenges in the match, losing out just once to Edmondson. His effectiveness in sweeping up these challenges, resulting in nine clearances in the match from the defender, left Northampton running out of ideas before they had even had a chance to gain a foothold in the game.

If it was not already an uphill struggle for them, following Ekpiteta’s opening goal, then it certainly was on the 30 minute mark. Lloyd Jones, one of the three centre halves, had a throw-in on the right hand side in his own half and he had two options to play to.

One was an aimless ball down the line to Kioso and Sam Hoskins where the ball would more than likely be swept up by James Husband, or he could play the ball back to his defensive partner Cian Bolger who would have time on the ball to recycle possession and start-up a patient attack.

Seems a simple decision to make right?

That is not how it went. Jones lingered with the ball in his hands looking back and forth for a while weighing up his options. In the background Kioso and Hoskins are shouting at him “just trust him,” on a continuous cycle in reference to Bolger’s ability on the ball in spite of a heavy Blackpool press.

But Jones simply did not trust his defensive counterparts to be able to cope under the home sides’ press, decided for the aimless throw option, and Kioso and Hoskins’ heads instantly dropped bemoaning the clear disjointed nature of their plan of action.

From that moment, the home side did not look like relinquishing control at any moment, despite being unable to kill off the game until the final minutes.

In central midfield Kevin Stewart was making his first start for the Seasiders and he looked every bit of the Championship quality that he advertised himself as earlier in the window. He is the perfect foil for Kenny Dougall and they compliment each others’ qualities completely.

A lot of what makes Stewart such a high quality player is his off the ball work. Whenever you pan your eyes to the centre of the pitch when the opposition are in possession, Stewart is pre-empting their next move, already a yard ahead positionally of anybody else on the park.

The former Hull man made the third most accurate passes in the game with 33 and it was the varied nature of these that was key. He was not afraid to break the lines with a dangerous through ball and take up the mantle himself, but what made the unit tick over was his efficiency in recycling possession through Dougall after regaining possession.

Recent weeks before Stewart’s arrival have seen Dougall bogged down in defensive work, practically playing two positions at the same time and it has meant his and the team’s creative has suffered as a consequence. Stewart is very much a weight off the ex-Barnsley player’s shoulders and he looked back to his best in this one.

Marvin Ekpiteta again was at his top level which is a consistent occurrence now and he stands as one of the best centre halves in the division. Anything that came at him he batted away without question and, unlike with the opposition, there is a fundamental trust in him to do his job from each and every player in a Blackpool shirt.

Sullay Kaikai also looked an improved figure given his quiet performances as of late and with questions over his long term place in the side looming. He made four key passes, the most on the pitch far above anybody else and he seemed to find the confidence that has seen him provide the side with some vital performances over his time there.

And it would not be a justified review of this match if Jerry Yates’ goal to finish off the 2-0 victory was not raved over. A superb long throw from Chris Maxwell found Yates facing down on goal; Northampton worked well to recover and shut off his initial approach. This left the Striker with three men between him and the Cobblers goal as he held up the ball and looked for options.

With no one offering for the ball it looked as if the attack would inevitably wain, but Yates had other ideas. A phenomenal Cruyff-turn left each and every Northampton defender for dead, with a shimmy past the onrushing goalkeeper finding an empty net to caress home.

A sheer moment of magic from a player who has almost every positive asset to his game.

As mentioned in the introduction, these are the sorts of games you have to win professionally when you want to be promoted and Blackpool ticked every box. For Northampton, they look dishevelled and void of ideas. Their one dimensional approach is easy to suss and they look impotent in front of goal. Keith Curle has to act quickly to avoid anything other than a relegation dogfight.

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