‘That’s Blackpool for you’ - Preston North End boss criticises Seasiders for Central League Cup team

Preston North End boss Ryan Lowe has criticised Blackpool for their team selection for this week’s Central League Cup fixture, which was played on Tuesday.

The Lilywhites manager claims the Seasiders were fully aware of their intentions to play their kids in the game.

Yet he was disappointed when the visitors to their Springfields training ground turned up with several first-team players.

The likes of Marvin Ekpiteta, Andy Lyons, Sonny Carey, Celtic loanee Karamoko Dembele and Jake Beesley all featured in the game - players who have appeared a combined total of 25 times for Neil Critchley’s senior team this season.

The visitors subsequently won the game 3-0, with both Dembele and Ekpiteta on the scoresheet. But Lowe wasn’t happy.

Criticising Blackpool’s team selection, the former Plymouth and Bury boss told the LEP: ‘They were strong. I was a bit disappointed, because we had a conversation with them that we were going to play the kids - and they chose to bring senior players. So, that is their problem, not ours.

‘We won’t do that again. I was disappointed with them; how they went about it. I suppose it helped our youngsters, really.

‘We wanted to play our youngsters against their youngsters, which would’ve been fair. But, they chose to have their first-team players and first-team staff there.

‘That is their prerogative, not ours. Our kids probably got more out of it than their pros probably got out of it, because it was a big test for them.

‘So yeah, disappointed in what they did, but that’s Blackpool for you.’