It’s smooth sailing for Seasiders
BLACKPOOL manager Gary Bowyer is delighted with the way his side are adapting to League One after making it four games unbeaten since promotion.
Sean Longstaff ’s second-half strike was enough to earn the Seasiders a sixth successive home league win while the Dons finished with ten men after Jimmy Abdou’s straight red card.
After losing on the opening day to Bradford, Blackpool are looking at home on their return to the third tier.
“I’m delighted with the start that we’ve made and the way we’ve dealt with the different challenges,” said Bowyer. “I wish we had converted a few more chances because then I wouldn’t have gone as grey as I’ve probably gone again.
“I was very impressed with a different type of performance from us today. The whole back four have been terrific but the two centre-halves were outstanding.”
Blackpool lost winger Bright Osayi-Samuel to QPR this week, with the deal confirmed late on Friday. Bowyer said: “The whole system needs reviewing because it’s Friday night when it’s passed. That can’t be right when the deadline is Thursday.
“We are delighted for him because we encourage our players to play at the highest level they can. We are gutted at the same time because he’s someone who was a big part of our plans.”
Dons’ Cody McDonald produced the first moment of real quality on the stroke of halftime, turning sharply only to be superbly denied one-onone by Ryan Allsop. On 52 minutes, Longstaff grabbed the winner with his fourth goal in as many games as he jinked past three defenders before firing low into the bottom corner from 18 yards.
And then Wimbledon’s Abdou received his marching orders for a two-footed tackle on Callum Cooke.
“It changed in the second half,” said Wimbledon boss Neal Ardley. “We didn’t see our jobs through.”