Dave Challinor hails Stockport display in Blackpool win as ‘best of the season’

Stockport boss Dave Challinor believes his side produced their best performance of the season in their 2-1 victory at Blackpool.

Kyle Wootton and Jack Diamond found the back of the net within two minutes of each other in the first half to put the Hatters in control.

Josh Bowler pulled one back for the Seasiders in the final moments of the game, but it proved to be nothing more than a consolation.

“I was really pleased with our performance, I felt it was our best of the season, but we need to go and finish teams off,” Challinor said.

“If that game finishes three, four, five, then great, but it should finish 2-0.

“The scoreline probably doesn’t reflect what the game looked like, but nonetheless, when I’ve calmed down a bit, a lot of the stuff in there will be some of the best we’ve done.

“We played some really good stuff in the first half. Blackpool weren’t jumping on us so it gave us some control.

“The only criticism I have is we didn’t get that third goal, which will take any fight left out of them. They shouldn’t have been in the game.

“We’ve got to keep winning – we know where we’re at. It’s strange to say it’s better off than we were last year in terms of points return, but our run at the back end of last season was pretty crazy, so we know we need to replicate that.”

Blackpool head coach Ian Evatt admitted the scoreline flattered his side, but believes injuries are taking their toll, with both George Honeyman and Joel Randall forced off during the match.

“It was a team that is miles ahead of where we are,” he said.

“They’ve developed and been together for a period of time and that’s a team that deserves to be at the top of the league.

“We were second best and 2-1 probably flattered us, that’s the truth of it. Today is a huge learning curve.

“We’re patching a team together and there’s players playing 50 per cent fit. I’m not playing players from the start because I’m worried about them getting injured and then I bring one on at half-time and they get injured.

“I don’t have any answers behind why we are getting all of these injuries, but it’s really hurting us. There’s no two ways about that.

“In the second half, to be fair to the players they had a go, but we were just patching a team together to rally against a team who are really well organised.

“When it comes down to it, it’s man v man and we lost far too many individual battles.”