After successfully bouncing back from defeat by beating Oxford United on Tuesday, John Sheridan’s side will be looking to continue their good recent form when they travel to Blackpool on Saturday for the Fylde Coast derby.
The match will be Town’s first game at Bloomfield Road since November 2015 and pits the two sides currently 11th and 12th in the Sky Bet League One table against one another.
Blackpool’s last match saw them overcome Northampton Town 3-0 at home on Tuesday as Armand Gnanduillet, Sean Longstaff and Jimmy Ryan all scored.
John Sheridan’s thoughts…
"It's a derby, but we're taking it as another game where want to go and win. Derby's are usually tight games, and we have to be ready for a battle.
"The players are doing really well. We've shown what we're capable of and we've only lost one game in nine. The lads have been excellent.
"The pressure is off a little now we're up to 54 points. We've had to dig in and grind out results which has been pleasing."
Gary Bowyer’s thoughts…
“We’ve got to recover quickly now [after playing on Tuesday] and go again because it’s a tough week for us – Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday.
“It’s a local derby but we’ve got momentum and we want to continue that. I want us to finish as strongly as we possibly can and get as many points as we can.
“Kyle Vassell wasn’t far off returning on Tuesday to be fair, so we’re certainly hoping he will be back in on Saturday.
Form Guide
Blackpool: D L L W W
Blackpool have won their last two games, scoring eight in total and none conceded. Saturday’s 5-0 win over Bradford was, however, their first victory in five. They have only failed to score at home twice this season.
Fleetwood: W W W L W
Fleetwood have lost just once in their last eight games, winning five and conceding four times in that period. Town have kept a clean sheet in four of their last five away games.
We’ve Met Before
Saturday’s meeting will be the fifth competitive fixture between the two. Fleetwood are yet to beat their Fylde Coast neighbours in the previous four, with the last two ending goalless.
Blackpool won the first meeting 5-1 at Highbury in an FA Cup tie in 2012, and won the following match 1-0 at Bloomfield Road in November 2015 when an own goal decided the game.
One to Watch
A name memorable to Fleetwood fans would be Jimmy Ryan, who played 59 times for the Cod Army before joining the Tangerines in 2017. He scored in Blackpool’s 3-0 win over Northampton on Tuesday, taking his season’s tally to three goals. Before joining Fleetwood in 2015, where he scored three times during his time at Highbury, he had lengthy spells with Accrington Stanley, Chesterfield and Scunthorpe United.
What the Bookies Say
League partner Sky Bet have announced their odds for Saturday’s clash. Fleetwood are 13/5 to take the win at Bloomfield Road, while the home side are 11/10. A draw is available at 23/10.
Conor McAleny scored the stunning winner at Oxford on Tuesday night, and a score cast of him to score first and Town to win 2-1 is available at 55/1.
The last two meetings between the sides have ended goalless and for the same score line again, Sky Bet offer odds of 15/2, while 1-1 is 9/2. At 16/1, you can select at 2-0 win for Fleetwood, while 2-1 is 11/1.
To score in 90 minutes, Ash Hunter and Jordy Hiwula are both available at 9/4, while Cian Bolger is 17/2.
A full list of odds can be found at skybet.com.
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