We were rubbish, admits Blackpool boss

Matt Palmer’s second-half strike saw Oldham beat the Seasiders 1-0 at Boundary Park last night and leapfrog them in the League One table.

Pool are still two points from safety but have dropped to third-bottom and crucially have played more games than all the teams around them.

They are now looking for five more wins with just nine games remaining – a daunting task for a side with only two points to show for their last eight games. It was yet another toothless display from McDonald’s men, who have scored just once in five matches.

And the manager admits his growing concern. “We aren’t scoring goals and it’s costing us at the moment,” he admitted.

“It’s a worry – it’s been a worry all season. In the first half we were very good – in the second half we were rubbish.

“We had six efforts and weren’t able to score, and we were again punished in the second half.

“We can’t play that well in the first half and that poorly in the second half.”

Frustrations boiled over towards the end of the game as the 338 travelling Blackpool supporters turned on McDonald with chants of “You don’t know what you’re doing”.

It followed the manager’s decision to introduce Martin Paterson in place of Danny Philliskirk and McDonald says he’s willing to take the stick.

“My decisions are questioned all the time by your paper and the fans, and I understand that,” he said.

“I’m trying to get someone on the pitch who can score a goal. I will keep on making changes to try to score goals.”

McDonald claimed it was a tale of two halves, accusing his side of being “off the pace” after the break.

Pool managed just two shots on target in the whole game, both in the second half.

But once Palmer fired Oldham’s winner on 53 minutes, there never looked to be any way back for the struggling Seasiders, who all but threw the towel in.

Boss McDonald was less than impressed, saying: “We stepped off the pace, stopped closing down and stop doing the things we did in the first half.

“That’s the most disappointing thing for me.

“I don’t think effort was lacking. I just don’t think we kept our emotions intact.

“It’s worrying. I don’t think we responded once Oldham scored the goal.

“We aren’t winning games at the moment and we aren’t scoring goals, and it’s a worry.

“It’s a worry we can go from playing so well in the first half to so poorly after the break. Whether it’s pressure or Oldham stepping it up, I don’t know.”