As we head out of a disappointing weekend full of thrills and spills, other League One clubs are also counting the cost of their fixtures.
Evatt slams lack of protection in Blackpool draw at Leyton Orient
Blackpool head coach Ian Evatt criticised the lack of protection for his players during the 1-1 draw at Leyton Orient, after Ashley Fletcher’s stoppage-time equaliser rescued a point at Brisbane Road.
The Seasiders had fallen behind to Aaron Connolly’s first-half opener and played against ten men for much of the second period after Tayo Adaramola’s red card.
Evatt’s main frustration centred on an incident involving Lee Evans, who was pulled back from the side as he went to take a long throw, and on what he felt was poor control of emotions and behaviour close to the dugouts. He highlighted spectators grabbing the ball and slowing play, as well as abuse from the side, without what he viewed as adequate intervention from stewards.
“I thought there was a lot of emotion from the sides that was not policed in the correct way,” he said. “We have a duty to be protected when we are in the opposition stadium, and in the same way we have the duty to protect the opposition when they visit our stadium.”
Evatt stressed his respect for Leyton Orient and Richie Wellens, describing them as a club that has come a long way, but insisted the episode was “not acceptable” and should be dealt with so the focus can return to football rather than off pitch flashpoints.