Defender Ashley Eastham says that winning Saturday’s game with Blackpool is at the forefront of the Fleetwood Town players’ minds.
The Cod Army are searching for a visit ever victory over their local rivals at Highbury this weekend, with the eagerly anticipated clash edging ever nearer.
Vice-captain Eastham – who used to play for The Seasiders – spoke to the media on Thursday at Poolfoot Farm, with his key quotes below…
On making history and becoming the first Fleetwood Town team to ever beat Blackpool…
“We felt we were close to doing that [last season at Blackpool]. We had a great following at Bloomfield Road, but we couldn’t see it over the line.
“We’re putting an importance on the game for our fans, because they deserve it. It’s a local derby, they want the bragging rights, and we want to shift the footballing momentum on the Fylde Coast.”
On the last two results…
“It’s been tough to take [not picking up any points]. We’ve travelled to the top two in the league, faced minimal attempts on goal whilst creating good chances – especially on Tuesday – and come away scratching out heads.
“The confidence we can take from these games is that we’re not losing games through being poor. We’ve travelled to two of the best teams in the league and unfortunately lost by a goal to nothing. I do feel that we have the fundamentals within our side to get the results we want.
“We have a strong mind-set as a group. We’re happy to be judged on the league table position at the end of the season, but right now the table is not a concern for us.”
On facing Blackpool this weekend…
“I had a great time there and I have to thank them for developing me as a young player. They gave me a chance to play professional football after playing at Sunday league level in Preston, and it gave me a great grounding as a professional.
“If we can use our momentum and start well on Saturday, their fans tend to have frustration at other things that are not always on the pitch. If we can use that to our advantage, we can get a result.”