Neil Critchley hails Blackpool camaraderie after late win boosts play-off hopes

Blackpool boss Neil Critchley paid tribute to his side’s camaraderie and hopes their late victory over Stoke can help catapult them into the Championship play-off places by the end of the season.

The travelling Tangerines, who ended an eight-match run without an away win dating back to October, were fortunate not to be behind before snatching an 86th-minute winner through Josh Bowler.

Stoke forward Nick Powell spurned a glorious chance for an opener when he blazed over from close range, while Josh Maja struck the post in a frustrating first half for the Potters.

After the interval, the home side continued to threaten with Tyrese Campbell dragging an effort wide, but their profligacy was eventually punished by Bowler’s strike.

The in-form winger marked his 23rd birthday with a sixth goal in eight games, sending the 2,184-strong away support into delirium and boosting Blackpool’s bid for a top-six finish.

Blackpool boss Critchley said: “We want to make the end of the season interesting for us and we’re not far off. We did it last season; I believe we’ll do it again and stay strong until the end of the season.

“If we can be somewhere near come the last two games, then we might make it an interesting season for ourselves.”

A second successive victory leaves Blackpool in 14th place in the Championship but only seven points off Middlesbrough and the top six.

Critchley added: “If you said to me at the start of the season that we’d be seven points outside the play-offs at this point, we’d have taken that. It would take a really good run, but we’ve been on a run once this season and hopefully this is the start of another one.

“Our supporters are enjoying the journey at the moment and being back in the Championship. It’s what