CLOUGH HAILS A ‘SOLID’ VICTORY
BURTON boss Nigel Clough was pleased with his side’s solid performance that produced a first home league win since Boxing Day as Blackpool were ruthlessly despatched back to the Fylde coast.
Liam Boyce, Jamie Allen and Lucas Akins were all on target in a comfortable win that moved the Brewers on to 50 points.
“It’s about time we got three points here,” Clough declared. “The performance wasn’t too much different to some in recent weeks, but we put our chances away and we put them away at good times as well.
“That’s the only difference. It was a good solid three points and performance at home.”
Clough opted to play two up front for the first time in a while and was vindicated as both strikers found the net and got an assist each as well.
“We haven’t been getting much from our wide positions recently and we just thought we’d have a look at something a little different.
“Both of the strikers made one for each other and scored, which makes it a perfect partnership day. There have been plenty of games where we have had chances and not put them away and today we did.”
Boyce’s 11th goal of the season, his first since early January, came after six minutes as he converted Akins’ cross from close range. Allen almost made it two with a shot that came back off a post, before Blackpool’s afternoon began to unravel further.
Goalkeeper Mark Howard suffered an Achilles injury that saw him leave on a stretcher before a quarter of an hour and his replacement, Myles Boney, had a moment to forget on his first league appearance of the season failing to hold on to an Allen shot as it dropped over the line.
The Brewers sealed victory midway through the second half with Akins converting a towering back post header from Boyce’s cross.
It was an afternoon to forget for Blackpool manager Terry McPhillips, who has now seen his side win just one of their last eight league games as hopes of a late dash for the play-offs look to be evaporating.
“We were really poor,” McPhillips said. “As poor as we were at Bristol Rovers you say that it is a one-off, but it hasn’t been has it?
“I thought Longy could have scored first after a great cross by Feeney, but he has elected to go with his feet rather than a diving header and Nya [Kirby] has had a turn and shot at the end. I’ve just looked at the stats and some of them look quite equal, but stats aren’t always correct are they?”
On keeper Howard, McPhillips added: “It doesn’t look good for Mark. He has been superb for us and its not good news for us.”