Blackpool’s rocking after another scalp for Neil’s new boys

NEIL CRITCHLEY insisted Blackpool will prove themselves a worthy Championship outfit – after a remarkable turnaround to their season.

The Tangerines climbed out of the bottom three with an inspired comeback as Boro were booed off.

It was a second win in eight days for Critchley’s outfit – following a win against Fulham – having lost four of their first five games back in the second tier following their promotion.

The new boys are growing in confidence after muscular play from

Marvin

Ekpiteta and a Grant Hall (above) own goal cancelled out Marcus Tavernier’s disputed opener.

Boss Critchley said: “Our aim is to stay in this division.

“We can take heart from beating Fulham and Boro and our performances all season have merited more. Neil Warnock said we should have beaten Huddersfield as well in midweek.

“We are not struggling, our performances show that. If we show spirit and togetherness we have the quality to be competitive in this division.

“It’s two wins in three and we were fantastic, 1-0 down to a strong team like Boro and a crowd behind them.

“We could easily have gone under but we took the game to them.

“We passed the ball and believed. We had a bit for fortune with the second goal.”

Tavernier lashed Boro in front after eight minutes but it was controversial.

Lee Peltier flicked on to Dael Fry who laid across goal for his team-mate to score from close range.

Blackpool were angry and had a case to claim Fry was offside when Peltier touched the ball.

Critchley said: “Their goal was offside. We had a complaint about that, and Neil will have some complaints about the ref too.”

Ekpiteta collected Richard Keogh’s dink into the box and turned Fry to equalise.

Alan Shearer would have admired such bustle in the box.

“I have told him he is playing up front next week,” added Critchley.

“He swivelled on a sixpence. A fantastic goal.”

Boro were fuming about the free-kick which led to the goal when Tavernier fouled Keshi Anderson.

Byt they only had themselves to blame for Blackpool’s winner – a hapless own goal from a Luke Garbutt corner which went in off defender Hall.

Warnock said: “I thought we should have won it.”

MIDDLESBROUGH: Lumley 5; Dijksteel

6 (Jones (55th) 5), Hall 5, Fry 5, Peltier

7; Howson 6 (Ikpeazu 87th), Lea Siliki

6 (Payero 79th); Tavernier 7, Crooks 6, Hernandez 7; Sporar 6

BLACKPOOL: Maxwell 7; Sterling 6, Ekpiteta 7, Keogh 7, Garbutt 7; Bowler

7 (Gabriel 90th), Dougall 7, Wintle 6, Anderson 6; John-Jules 6 (Madine

(71st) 6), Lavery 6 (Yates 86th)

STAR MAN: Josh Bowler

REF: D Webb