THE GAME
For their final game of the season, and last in League One for at least a season, Rovers Head Coach Inigo Calderon made three changes to his starting XI
He handed young striker Ollie Dewsbury his first league start and also brought in Taylor Moore and Isaac Hutchinson.
The three players to make way were Jack Hunt, Romaine Sawyers and Ruel Sotiriou.
Unfortunately, the game followed the same pattern as many of this season’s previous games and after taking a first half lead Rovers fell away after taking the lead and were well beaten for the 17th time on their travels.
Gatlin O’Donkor scored what turned out to be the club’s final goal of a miserable season when Tyrer took too long in possession near to his own goal, he panicked under pressure from the Rovers striker who scored from close range to give his side the lead.
Blackpool equalised five minutes before the break Niall Ennis’ curling cross from the left was only partially deals with by Jed Ward, who pushed the ball into the path of Tom Bloxham and he slotted the ball back past the unfortunate shot stopper
The home side went ahead ten minutes into the second half when Bloxham raced down the left before finding Ennis in space. His shot was blocked, but the loose ball fell to Albie Morgan who fired a low shot past ward and into the corner of the net.
Substitute Michael Reindorf, introduced with 20 minutes remaining, twice went close to getting Rovers back on level terms, but it was the home side who looked the most dangerous and they scored two late goals to crush Calderon’s side.
CJ Hamilton was the creator of goal number three and following his run down the left he found the unmarked Ennis who comfortably beat Ward with his effort from just inside the area.
The final goal came with just a minute of the 90 left and came at the third time of asking in a goalmouth scramble. Ward made two saves as his defence were overrun, each time making crucial blocks but after the second of those the loose ball fell to Ryan Finnigan and he managed to force the ball over the line to complete a 4-1 win for Blackpool and end a miserable season for Rovers.
THEY SAID WHAT?
‘I was quite naive thinking that maybe we could have a good last day. The first half, more or less, we know their best qualities, but still we were alright. We scored a goal. It was not the best one, but a goal and after a mistake, we conceded. I think the start of the second half was not good. Especially, the last part of the game was difficult to watch. It was painful to watch. It has been a tough season, a tough week, and probably to stay in the game was too much to ask today. I have to say it like that.
‘I think we have to be better. I think we lack a bit in the final third. We need to improve defensively. We’re still conceding chances. It’s true that in the last third, if you don’t produce enough, sometimes it’s the game plan, but it was clear that as soon as we lost too many strikers, we struggled to score goals, and that’s been the issue. In the game against Reading, we created chances, but in the end, we couldn’t score them. That’s the wonderful part of football, scoring goals, and we were not good at that.
‘I think Ollie Dewsbury has been unlucky in terms of the situation we have been in because I was even thinking about playing him against Reading from the start, but I didn’t feel that was fair for him. I would say that if we had more points, he would play more minutes, but I thought it was not fair to put him under that much pressure. He played today from the start. Credit to the academy. I think it’s important that we have some positives, and players coming through the system is really important for the football club.’ (Rovers Head Coach Inigo Calderon)
‘The 90 minutes sums our season up in a nutshell. We go ahead, we give them a goal, and then we just capitulate in the second half, which with what we’ve got in the dressing room doesn’t surprise me. We’re not resilient through tough times. We sink. We didn’t do the basis well enough. We’re miles off it, and we’ve got exactly what we deserve.
‘I would say there’s been a disconnect. Definitely in the playing team. I don’t think we’ve had that togetherness that a lot of teams have in this league. Go back to before. It’s pure basics. We give the ball away in some ridiculous areas. We make mad decisions, and you get punished for them at this level.
‘Big changes need to be made. I think everyone knows that and they will. A lot of work needs to go into the summer, and we’ll be confident that we’ll get it right. Nobody wants to go down, but sometimes you have to take a step back to get the club back in the right frame of mind again. Especially in the playing staff. We’ve got to get that right, and I have every confidence we will. It’s a big summer ahead for us.’ (Rovers Defender Connor Taylor)
‘Well, firstly, I’d like to thank each and every one from the supporters to the boardroom, to the players, to the staff, to everybody concerned who welcomed me with open arms. They’ve made me feel very, very welcome. I applaud all of them. They’ve travelled away from home. They’re fiercely loyal, and I’ve seemed to understand very quickly how loyal they are towards the club and long may that continue.
‘It’s my aim now to take the club where it wants to get to. I’ll be determined until I finish that off. I don’t know how many years it’s going to take me, but I’m determined to do it. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it, as I said, it’s a big thank you to everybody.”
‘Today’s game reminded me of a pre-season friendly, which I don’t like at all. I’ve never liked friendlies, but yeah, we did it properly. We did our job. Towards the end, they were wide open at times when they chased it, and then we punished them.
Going forward, we will always look like a threat. Defensively, we’ve got a lot to work on. There’s been times when I think we’re close, we’re close to a good side, but at the end of the day, the table doesn’t lie, and where we are is, I don’t think, acceptable for all of us. So there is a big summer ahead.’ (Blackpool Manager Steve Bruce)
