Tangerines a menacing proposition for Imps
With a place in the Championship up for grabs Blackpool meet Lincoln City at Wembley Stadium this Sunday. Two teams that were not identified as promotion contenders at the start of the season will arrive in the capital looking to write their name in EFL history. Both sides were spoken favourably of before the campaign however they were more in the name of top half finishes and potential playoff murmurs, not to finish comfortably inside the six with Lincoln looking like top two candidates for a large chunk of the season. Michael Appleton has once again performed impressively in his role and will be enjoying the underdog for this one, even though they knocked out the playoff favourites in Sunderland in the semi final.
Background
Neil Critchley’s Tangerines have had an incredible second half of the season that has seen them steamroll themselves from mid table mediocrity to a third placed finish. Everton loanee Ellis Simms has had a brilliant impact, partnering the mercurial talent of Jerry Yates very effectively. Simms has slotted in perfectly, making the loss to injury of early season key man CJ Hamilton a lot less of an issue. In terms of recent history Blackpool are much more familiar with this stage of competition than the Imps, who are only in their fourth season since promotion from the National League.
Blackpool made their way into the final in much more comfortable fashion than Lincoln, dispatching Oxford United 6-3 on aggregate while the Imps edged out the Black Cats 3-2. Appleton’s men arguably have the greater individuals in exciting young loanees like Brennan Johnson and Morgan Rogers but the occasion could get the better of them. In the fine margins and tense moments, there is certainly more experience coming from the Lincoln, tactically and managerially Appleton has a better CV than Critchley to date, it would be one of the stories of the season if he was to lead them back into the second tier for the first time this millennium.
The magnitude of the fixture could dampen this one as a spectacle, with fans back in the ground the reality of how large the implications for the winner and loser will loom large. Blackpool have a strong defensive record of late and, in that may look to keep things tight, knowing they come into this one in better shape than their opponents.
Post bet chat Marcus's Tips:
A dramatic early Blackpool own goal frustrates us here, the Tangerines recovered excellently to run out 2-1 winners and earn promotion to the Championship.