Fleetwood Town 0-0 Blackpool: Fylde coast rivals play out nervy draw in Neil Critchley's first game in charge

It was a typical game of two halves in this Fylde coast clash, the Seasiders dominant in the opening 45 minutes courtesy of their relentless pressing.

Nathan Delfouneso squandered their big chance, failing to hit the target after the ball was played back to him 10 yards from goal, while Joe Nuttall was also guilty of a miss late on.

But Fleetwood were the better side in the second half, Paddy Madden heading narrowly wide with their most clear-cut opportunity.

But a both sides were forced to settle for a point, a result that was fair on reflection of the 90 minutes.

Critchley was forced into making one change to his Blackpool side after Ollie Turton was ruled out through illness.

He was replaced by Ben Heneghan, who returned to the fold after serving his three-match suspension for his straight red card in the defeat at Bristol Rovers.

Armand Gnanduillet returned from a hamstring injury to take his place on the bench, but Jak Alnwick (arm) and Sullay Kaikai (groin/abductor) remain sidelined.

With Fleetwood boss Joey Barton watching on from the stands serving the second game of his touchline ban, it was the Seasiders who threatened first.

Nathan Delfouneso did well to lay the ball off to Connor Ronan inside the Fleetwood box, the on-loan Wolves man seeing his curling shot well claimed by Fleetwood keeper Alex Cairns.

A minute later Cairns was beaten by Matty Virtue’s low shot as the midfielder ran onto Gary Madine’s lay-off, but unfortunately for the Seasiders his shot flew agonisingly wide of the bottom corner.

With Pool fans taunting their Fleetwood counterparts with a chant of “you were there at Wembley”, the Seasiders threatened again as Ronan tried his luck with an ambitious looping effort from 40 yards which wasn’t a million miles away from creeping under Cairns’ crossbar.

Critchley’s impact was clear, the Seasiders often hunting down the Fleetwood players in twos and threes as soon as they received the ball to feet.

For all of Pool’s dominance the game remained goalless, although that ought to have changed on the half-hour mark.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall split Fleetwood’s defence with a superb crossfield pass to Calum Macdonald, whose cutback to Nathan Delfouneso was blazed over the crossbar.

Pool, who remained a yard sharper across the pitch, threatened again when Macdonald side-footed wide from Ronan’s pinpoint ball.

Fleetwood had some half-hearted penalty appeals waved away on the stroke of half time as McKay went down in the box looking for a spot kick, but nothing was given.

The Seasiders were forced into a change in the first minute of the second half when Madine indicated he wasn’t fit enough to continue as he clutched his neck.

Joe Nuttall, fresh from his stoppage-time winner against Ipswich Town last week, was the man to replace him.

The home side began to see more of the ball at the start of the second half, Paddy Madden delivering a dangerous ball into Blackpool’s box that Macdonald did well to head clear.

Barton’s men carved a good opening for themselves on 54 minutes when Lewie Coyle was allowed the time and space to deliver a cross in from the right.

It was a superb delivery from the right-back, Coyle putting the ball on a plate for Madden who headed narrowly over.

The hosts were presented with a shooting opportunity on the hourmark when they were gifted a 30-yard free kick after Ben Heneghan was penalised for a foul on Callum Connolly.

Danny Andrew’s attempt was straight into the Blackpool wall before Barrie McKay blazed well over on the rebound.

Fleetwood were becoming an increasingly bigger threat on the counter, Wes Burns almost getting in behind James Husband only for the Pool defender to recover well.

The hosts worked the ball to substitute Ched Evans down the right who skipped past Macdonald before blazing high and wide.

At the other end, Delfouneso allowed Liam Feeney’s pullback to roll across his body in the six-yard box but a Fleetwood defender got across well to clear.

With 10 minutes remaining and the game hanging in the balance, the Seasiders turned to top scorer Gnanduillet for a late winner.

But it was his strike partner Nuttall who ought to have made the breakthrough a minute or so later, the striker missing from a matter of yards.

Dewsbury-Hall delivered a powerful corner to the striker at the near post but Nuttall failed to make a clean connection, eventually seeing the ball bounce off his shoulder and over.

With three minutes remaining, Danny Andrew went sprawling in the Blackpool box looking for a penalty but the referee emphatically waved away the appeals.

Neither side were able to muster up any late opportunities, with the two sides fairly satisfied to settle for the point.

TEAMS

Fleetwood: Cairns, Coyle, Souttar, Gibson, Andrew, Connolly (Evans), Whelan, Coutts, Burns (Morris), McKay (Sowerby), Madden

Subs not used: Crellin, Biggins, Saunders, Thorvaldsson

Blackpool: Maxwell, Heneghan, Moore, Husband, Macdonald, Feeney, Virtue, Ronan, Dewsbury-Hall, Delfouneso (Gnanduillet), Madine (Nuttall)

Subs not used: Sims, Edwards, Spearing, Garrity, Ward

Referee: John Busby

Attendance: 4,884