Imps wary of Embleton threat as loanee looks to help promote Blackpool
Sunderland youngster Elliot Embleton is set to play a key role for Blackpool as they aim for promotion from League One this weekend.
The Seasiders will face Lincoln City at Wembley on Sundayafternoon,withthewinner securing a place in the Championship. And Embleton is expected to start for Blackpool havingplayedakeyroleintheir run to the final – after joining thesideonloanduringthewinter transfer window.
The attacking midfielder scored in the play-off semi-final second leg against Oxford United and has been a reliable provider to Ellis Simms and JerryYates,whohavebeenprolificthroughoutthesecondhalf of the campaign.
And ahead of the final, Lincoln boss Michael Appleton has pinpointed stopping the delivery provided by Embletonandothersaskeytovictory.
"If you can deal with Yates and Simms you have a chance of winning the game,” he said.
“Youneedtocutoutthesupply chain and prevent crosses from coming into them.”
Commenting further on Blackpool, Appleton told Lincolnshire Live: “They’ve been great, especially in the second half of the season.
“They’ve got a very simple wayofplayingandtheydoitreally,reallywell.Andthey’vegot twoladsupfront,inSimmsand Yates, who are very effective, get hold of the ball and make it difficult. They’ve got [Gary] Madine who they can turn to as well.
“They’ve got a lot of energy intheteamandcanscoregoals, as we’ve seen.”
*Tokyo-boundJillScottbelieves she would have missed out on a place in Team GB’s Olympic squad if she hadn’t secured a loan move to Everton
back in January.
The Manchester City star whorepresentedGreatBritain the only other time they competed on the Olympic stage in 2012 - is set for her second Gamesappearanceafterbeing named in Hege Riise’s 18-player squad. “If I’m honest I think if my situation had stayed the same at City I wouldn’t have been sat here as part of the Team GB setup,” said Scott.
“I completely appreciated the situation but I was finding that when I was playing it took up a lot more energy to get to therequiredlevel,justbecause I wasn’t out there consistently.
“I knew something had to change because I had so much more to give. I’m really pleased withhowthesecondhalfofthe season went and I’ve probably provedtomyselfthatI’mstillat this level and enjoying football asmuch.Thiscallupdefinitely means the most.”