Dobbie fired up as Yates keeps Seasiders in swim

INTERIM coach Stephen Dobbie says Blackpool still have a fighting chance of safety after winning the battle of the bottom two.

Top scorer Jerry Yates scored the only goal of a nervy encounter to move the Seasiders four points from safety and virtually condemn Latics to the drop.

The striker had been touch and go to start after missing the Easter period with a hamstring strain but he pounced on a Keshi

Anderson pass to score inside three minutes.

It proved the high point of a scrappy encounter that had plenty of passion but little finesse.

Dobbie said: “I said to the boys all week that this was a ‘must-win’ game and it doesn’t matter how it looks as long as you get the three points.

“We have now given ourselves a little fighting chance.

“It was a big gamble (playing Jerry) but if this had been a cup final he would have played, so this was a cup final.

“Now we’ve got another cup final and we will see how he is for Tuesday.”

Wigan went down with a whimper, unable to fashion any clear chances, though James Mcclean struck the side-netting in stoppage time.

Latics boss Shaun Maloney said: “We have improved defensively but really we’re lacking a lot in an attacking sense.

“I’ll fight to the very last moment and want to see even more on the pitch.” BLACKPOOL: Grimshaw 6; Lyons 6, Nelson 7, Thorniley 6, Husband 6 (Gabriel (63) 5); Fiorini 7, Anderson 7, Bowler 7 (Hamilton (75) 5); Poveda 6 (Patino (78) 5), Rogers 6 (Carey (63) 5), Yates 7 WIGAN: Amos 6; Hughes 6, Whatmough 4 (Fletcher (35) 5) Rekik 5 (Pearce (68) 6); Nyambe 6, Aasgaard 5, Naylor 5 (Tiehi (46) 6), Power 6, Mcclean 6; Keane 6 (Magennis (75) 5); Lang 5 STAR MAN: Jerry Yates – Fit-again striker cut Wigan open with the only real chance of the game. REF: Thomas Bramall 7