Accrington Stanley manager John Coleman admitted that he was disappointed that his side had conceded an added time equaliser, but that his players should also be proud of their performances in the 1-1 draw with Blackpool.
An own goal from Curtis Tilt had given Stanley the lead, but an equaliser from Matty Virtue ensured that the points were shared and Coleman explained how on another day it would have been his side’s day.
“It shows you how far we’ve come if Blackpool are coming here and are delighted with a point.
“We deserved that and I think we deserved to win the game, and on another day we’d have won three or four nil.
“This inability to keep a clean sheet is biting us hard, but we battled well today and we defended well to see off most of the danger.”
Virtue’s goal came in the 92nd minute and Coleman said that the lads deserve full credit for battling away, and that conceding so late means that the draw feels like a defeat.
“You think it’s going to be your day when you’ve limited them to pot shots, but we go to sleep for a throw-in.
“We tried our best and sometimes you don’t get what you deserve, we battled away and you’ve got to give the lads credit for that.
“We’ll play better than that and lose, and we’ll play worse than that and win before now and the end of the season, at the moment it feels like a defeat, and that’s how we want it to be.
“The players have got high standards and we’re getting better, you can see we’re getting better, we’ve now just got to go on and get the results that our performances deserve.”
Preston loanee Connor Simpson made his first league start for the club during the draw with Blackpool in place of Colby Bishop, and Stanley’s manager was happy with the striker’s performance.
“It’s difficult for him because he’s come in to try and take Colby’s place and he’s a different type of player to Colby.
“He showed some good touches today and he tired as the game went on, but it’s a demanding job that he’s having to do, when he gets his fitness right he’ll be a handful.”
The Reds currently have four strikers unavailable, however Coleman explained how a couple of them may be back on the field in the coming weeks.
“Ozzy’s (Offrande Zanzala) not far away and we don’t think Colby’s that bad, we might see Colby in action next week.
“To get them two back would be really big for us, but Sean (McConville) did well when he went up top today as well, and Joe (Pritchard) came on and was a handful too.”
Stanley’s next game is away to Southend United and Coleman knows his side need to keep going and do what they have been doing the last couple of games.
“We’ve just got to keep going, we’ve got a smashing set of lads who give it their all.
“They haven’t left an ounce on the pitch and they’ve run themselves into the ground.
“I feel for them more than I feel for myself, I know they’re bitterly disappointed.”