Lee lauds Pool’s happy camp
LEE Clark believes Blackpool’s late equaliser at Charlton showed the Seasiders can complete the greatest achievement of his managerial career by staying in the Championship.
Steven Davies’ brave last-gasp header stole a point for the league’s bottom side and extended their unbeaten run to four, although they remain eight points from safety.
Chris Eagles’ opener was cancelled out by Yoni Buyens’ penalty and Jordan Cousins scored what looked like the winner before Davies’ struck to leave Clark thrilled with his side’s attitude.
“To score so late in the game, the effort and application from the players, their never-say-die attitude and Steven’s bravery for the equaliser were terrific.
“While my players have that fighting spirit it gives you a little chance and it gives you hope for the future.
“We’ve changed one or two things and the new personnel we have brought in have got a tenacious spirit about them.
“The players lacked confidence and we’ve tried to create an environment where people enjoy coming in.
“That’s not just on the football side of things. We have been bringing people in behind the scenes and we want to have respect for those people. We want to see happy faces around the stadium.
“Without a doubt it would be my best ever achievement because of the points total I had, the difference of the points and the mood around the football club.”
Clark’s side took the lead when Jamie O’Hara’s cross bypassed Addicks keeper Nick Pope and Nyron Nosworthy’s back-post header was hooked in by Eagles.
Charlton’s reprieve arrived courtesy of Buyens’ cool spotkick, sending Joe Lewis the wrong way after Igor Vetokele was hauled down by Peter Clarke.
The comeback was complete when 20-year-old Cousins was given too much time to pick his spot and curl the ball low past Lewis from 25 yards.
However, with just two minutes remaining Davies got on the end of Tony McMahon’s free-kick two score for the second consecutive game, picking up an injury in the process.
Deep into the stoppage time, substitute George Tucudean’s cutback fell to Andre Bikey but the defender fired well over, sealing the game’s outcome and leaving Bob Peeters frustrated.
“I think they were just a bit frustrated because we conceded a late goal. I think they were just nervous as well because we were leading 2-1 and they wanted us to go for a third,” he said.
“We didn’t give away a chance and we started pretty well and people get expectations but we need to be realistic as well.
“We have a young squad, today we played with a 17-yearold right-back, 21 or 22-year-old keeper, Callum Harriott is 20 and Jordan Cousins as well.
“We have a lot of young players and when we are leading sometimes we get a bit nervous because the crowd wants us to finish the game.
“Everyone is looking at the table and thinking Blackpool are bottom of the table but it’s a new squad with nine new players so it’s a different squad to a month-anda-half ago.At the moment we don’t need to look for the top six.What we need to do is get a win and see where we are in January.”