Preview: Fleetwood Town vs. Blackpool - prediction, team news, lineups

At a time when the home side have struggled all season, Blackpool sit in seventh place in the standings, despite seeing a four-game undefeated streak ended on Saturday.

Match preview

Soon after his sacking at Hibernian, Lee Johnson was handed the reins at Fleetwood, tasked with trying to lift a club that had began to stagnate under predecessor Scott Brown.

Nine matches in and Johnson has had minimal impact - winning just three of nine games - but progress is certainly being made after recent back-to-back defeats.

The North-West outfit earned a late 2-1 victory at the home of relegation rivals Reading on October 24, before turning their attention to a testing trip to promotion-chasing Barnsley.

Despite their underdog status, Fleetwood came away from the fixture at Oakwell feeling disappointed, a consequence of conceding an 88th-minute equaliser in a 2-2 draw.

Nevertheless, this is a side that now sit just two points away of moving outside of the relegation zone, even though they have lost five of their six matches at Highbury Stadium.

Meanwhile, Blackpool now look fully settled back under Neil Critchley, who did not have the instant impact that he may have anticipated upon his return.

Although the Seasiders succumbed to a 4-2 defeat at home to Peterborough United at the weekend, it was just their second defeat from nine games in all competitions.

Before then, eight points had been collected for a four-fixture period in League One, although you have to go back until September 30 for their last away success.

With a game in hand, Blackpool sit three points adrift of sixth-placed Stevenage, and there will be optimism that they can make up that deficit by triumphing over their neighbours.

Fleetwood Town League One form:

W

W

L

L

W

D

Fleetwood Town form (all competitions):

W

L

L

L

W

D

Blackpool League One form:

L

D

W

D

W

L

Blackpool form (all competitions):

D

W

W

D

W

L

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Team News

Fleetwood will again be without Aristote Nsiala as he completes the final game of his three-match suspension.

Danny Mayor will be considered as a replacement for Junior Quitirna on the left flank, but that may prove to be the only alteration to the team that impressed at Barnsley.

Critchley will be forced into at least one change courtesy of Oliver Casey being sent off against Peterborough at the weekend.

Marvin Ekpiteta should replace him in a back three, while Karamoko Dembele or Shayne Lavery could return in attack.

Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel and Kyle Joseph both remain on the sidelines through injury.

Fleetwood Town possible starting lineup:

Lynch; Rooney, Heneghan, Lawal, Earl; Quitirna, Vela, Sarpong-Wiredu, Broom, Omochere; Marriott

Blackpool possible starting lineup:

Grimshaw; Pennington, Ekpiteta, Husband; Hamilton, Dougall, Oakley-Boothe, Carey, Thompson; Rhodes, Lavery

We say: Fleetwood Town 1-1 Blackpool

While Blackpool have shown that they are the better side this season, Fleetwood now look like a side on the up. With local pride also at stake, we are anticipating a hard-earned share of the spoils on the North-West coast.

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