Three lows and one high as Blackpool fail to threaten in their defeat away to Wigan Athletic

The Seasiders struggled to create throughout the game, and didn’t do enough to threaten to equalise after Scott Smith’s goal in the first half.

Neil Critchley’s side still only remain three points off sixth place, but have fallen behind Lincoln City and Oxford United following their victories, while Leyton Orient are still in the hunt following their win over Stevenage.

Here’s some of the highs and lows from the game:

Creative woes

The Seasiders simply didn’t have enough of a spark for the majority of the game at the DW Stadium. Far too often passes were going backwards instead of forwards, with a sense of urgency just not being there.

At 0-0 you can afford to take your time while trying to figure out a way through, but after conceding a cheap goal far more was required. Things just seemed disjointed and didn’t link up, with Karamoko Dembele’s quiet afternoon telling you all you need to know.

The quality was simply lacking against a Wigan team that managed the fixture extremely well, but weren’t challenged as much as they should’ve been.

Attacking misses

When you are struggling to create, you’ve got to ensure you take every chance that comes your way, but the Seasiders were unable to do that.

Shayne Lavery made a superb driving run forward during the second half, but ultimately his final product let him down, with the eventual shot going off target. Meanwhile, in the latter stages, Kyle Joseph missed a huge headed opportunity, as he failed to even test Sam Tickle from a good position.

Rhodes blow

Blackpool were hit with an early blow at the DW Stadium, with Jordan Rhodes being forced off with a knee injury. After coming off second-best in a challenge for the ball, the striker spent a number of minutes down waiting for treatment. After briefly returning to the field, the 34-year-old went down once again, and was unable to continue.

The striker required assistance to leave the field, as he was replaced by Shayne Lavery. While the Seasiders do have a number of attacking options, no one else has the same goal threat as the Huddersfield loanee, despite his recent drought.

It’s unknown how long Rhodes could face out, as he joins the injury list, which is already occupied by Andy Lyons, Albie Morgan and James Husband.

Still in the hunt

Despite the defeat, Blackpool remain in the hunt for sixth spot. While they have dropped down the table, points wise their situation hasn’t changed.

Nonetheless, with every underwhelming result, the margin for error becomes even smaller. If they are to finish in the play-offs, they’ll probably have to win all but one of their remaining games.

They have to keep focusing on themselves, but it’s hard not to acknowledge the teams around them. Despite their recent inconsistencies, Oxford United remain a very tough team. Stevenage still have a game in hand and know how to get results. Lincoln City are probably the favourites due to their incredible run of form. And, Leyton Orient remain an outside threat too.