Ian Evatt says there’s still more to come from Blackpool after beating Stockport

Blackpool manager Ian Evatt insists there’s still more to come from his side after they climbed to sixth place in League One with an impressive 2-1 win away at Stockport.

Tom Bloxham and Josh Bowler scored the crucial goals in the first half to make it four points from two matches for the Seasiders.

And Evatt was full of praise for his team’s display against a side expected to push for promotion.

“They (Stockport) got to the play-off final last season, so we knew there was going to be a challenge and we’d have to suffer at times and not have the ball as much,” he said.

“My frustration was we focused so much on out-of-possession this week that we weren’t good with the ball and to be a really good team you have to do both sides really well – I think that’s where we can improve.

“But we spoke all week about transition space and faster vertical football at times.

“And we usually would be [playing that way] because we highlighted that was an area where we could attack and I think both goals came off the back of that.

“We had moments as well in transition where we just didn’t make that first pass, but in terms of mentality, belief, courage, desire to win football matches, it was there for all to see.”

County halved the deficit in the fifth minute of added time through forward Mikael Mandron, but defeat on the back of an opening-day win means they drop to ninth.

Boss Jimmy McNulty was disappointed his team didn’t make the most of the 78 per cent possession and 28 shots they had.

“It’s a funny old game,” he said. “I thought the largest twist of fate or irony was actually that in the final moment, we do score when you think it’s just meant today that we’re not going to score.

“And then we go and do it and football really has a funny way of bringing those moments to life.

“I thought the team were so committed, so brave, and produced a performance that was worthy of winning any game to be honest.

“But also, the game taught us some lessons as well and we as a team are, of course, disappointed with the goals we conceded.

“They gave the opportunity for the opponent to play the way they did, which was the ultimate block style performance.

“But even with that, I thought with the way the players broke it down and continually made amazing opportunities right throughout the game, it’ll probably always surprise me that we didn’t score far more goals today.”