Blackpool will endeavour to stretch their unbeaten run in League One to 10 matches when they play host to second-placed Peterborough United at Bloomfield Road on Tuesday evening.
The hosts boosted their playoff hopes with a 2-0 triumph over Oxford United on Saturday, while Peterborough could only take a point from a thrilling 3-3 draw with Rochdale.
Match preview
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Failures to convert draws into wins have ultimately proved to be Blackpool's downfall in their playoff bid since the start of the month, but the resilience that Neil Critchley's men have shown in recent matches should serve them well heading into the final weeks of the 2020-21 season.
Indeed, this week's hosts made light work of fellow mid-table side Oxford at the weekend thanks to two first-half strikes from Kenneth Dougall and Dan Ballard, with the Blackpool rearguard standing firm to record a third clean sheet in four matches and keep the momentum going away from home - where they have now won four on the bounce.
However, Critchley's side have struggled to replicate their away performances at Bloomfield Road, where they have played out four draws in succession since beating Rochdale 1-0 on February 16, although the Seasiders have strung together a remarkable 13-game unbeaten run on familiar territory across all competitions - last losing at home to Charlton Athletic all the way back in October.
Critchley's hosts currently occupy 10th spot in the table heading into this battle, although they have at least two games in hand over most of the teams above them and are only three points adrift of the top six, so the Seasiders would propel themselves into a playoff place should they make this game count and overcome their fellow Championship-chasing visitors.
While Blackpool's defensive determination is something to be admired - only Sunderland have shipped fewer goals this term - 39 goals scored is the joint-lowest out of the top 16 sides in the division, and finding their shooting boots against Peterborough may be a tough ask for the 10th-placed hosts this week.
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Peterborough's star striker Jonson Clarke-Harris managed to end his goal drought at the perfect time for the promotion chasers, who seemed destined to succumb to a 3-2 defeat to Rochdale before the 26-year-old equalised from the penalty spot in the dying embers of the match - his 22nd league goal of the campaign and first of the month.
Now level with Sunderland's Charlie Wyke at the top of the goalscoring charts, Clarke-Harris's strikes have propelled the Posh into the top two of the standings and only three points separate them from leaders Hull City - who have played two more matches - so a stint in the Championship is looking increasingly likely for the 2021-22 campaign.
However, Darren Ferguson's men have only managed to prevail in one of their five fixtures in March after storming to six consecutive wins in February, so while their momentum has taken quite a hit in recent weeks, they will remain favourites to secure a top-two finish if Clarke-Harris and co begin firing on all cylinders once again soon.
Furthermore, only three of Peterborough's last 12 away matches in League One have seen them come away with all three points in the bag - not exactly a recipe for success at a resilient Blackpool - and the Seasiders managed to prevail 2-1 against Ferguson's men earlier in the campaign.
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Team News
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In a huge blow to Blackpool, Arsenal loanee and Saturday's goalscorer Ballard has been called up to the Northern Ireland squad for their upcoming fixtures, so the centre-back will not be available for the next few matches.
However, Daniel Gretarsson is expected to return after missing out at the weekend for the birth of his child, and he is sure to deputise in the rearguard with James Husband also nursing a knock.
Midfielder Matty Virtue limped off after 70 minutes against Oxford and is set for a scan in the coming days, while Keshi Anderson, CJ Hamilton, Gary Madine, Kevin Stewart and Marvin Ekpiteta - who is making good progress - complete a long list of absentees for the hosts.
In contrast, the visitors have little to worry about on the injury front, as Sammie Szmodics shook off a minor injury to start and score his side's second against Rochdale, but Jack Taylor remains out.
Whether he is ready to start again so soon remains to be seen, but his playmaking partner Siriki Dembele - linked with a move to the Premier League - increased his goals and assists tally at the weekend as well.
Blackpool possible starting lineup:
Maxwell; Turton, Gretarsson, Thorniley, Garbutt; Ward, Dougall, Robson, Kaikai; Embleton; Yates
Peterborough United possible starting lineup:
Pym; Kent, Beevers, Thompson; Ward, Hamilton, Brown, Butler; Dembele, Burrows; Clarke-Harris
We say: Blackpool 1-1 Peterborough United
Peterborough's destiny is very much still in their own hands, but failure to take three points home from the seaside would have fans nervously glancing over their shoulder. Given Blackpool's exceptional form on home soil, coupled with the struggles of Ferguson's men away from home, we can envisage both sides claiming a share of the spoils this week.
Top tip
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Peterborough United win with a probability of 39.1%. A win for Blackpool had a probability of 32.97% and a draw had a probability of 27.9%.
The most likely scoreline for a Peterborough United win was 0-1 with a probability of 11.79%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 1-2 (8.13%) and 0-2 (7.3%). The likeliest Blackpool win was 1-0 (10.59%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (13.12%). The actual scoreline of 3-1 was predicted with a 2.7% likelihood.
