Blackpool chief Appleton frustrated his side didn't take all three points against Luton

Blackpool boss Michael Appleton was left disappointed and frustrated his side didn’t pick up all three points, let alone just one, during their 1-0 home defeat to Luton yesterday.

The hosts had 19 shots, eight on target, throughout the 90 minutes at Bloomfield Road, somehow kept out by an amazing rearguard second half display from the Hatters at times.

Keeper Ethan Horvath made a smart save from Keshi Anderson, with Town’s defence producing some stunning blocks, Tom Lockyer putting his body in the way more than once to clear off the line, as did Allan Campbell, plus the rest of Luton’s makeshift back four containing Jordan Clark, James Bree and Amari’i Bell, along with midfielders Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu and Luke Berry.

The Seasiders chief told the Blackpool Gazette: “There’s two ways to look at it.

“We’re frustrated and disappointed to create as many chances as we did.

“I said to the players I’m not disappointed we haven’t picked up a point, I’m disappointed we haven’t picked up all three.

“The other side of it is, can we be a bit more clinical? And not give them the opportunity to make the blocks?

“At the same time, you’ve got to give the opposition some credit because they’ve defended for their lives.

“We counted eight, maybe nine point-blank blocks from five or six yards out.

“They are positives today, although it’s difficult at this moment in time.”

Midfielder Berry scored the only goal of the game on 57 minutes, stabbing home when Bree’s corner was headed back by man of the moment Lockyer.

Appleton continued: “It’s fine margins.

“I don’t see us conceding from that first contact, which is a big part of it from corners, free-kicks, whatever it may be.

“At this moment in time, it’s a lapse in concentration.

“But when you look back at it we’ve had two unfortunate touches by our players that led to them getting the opportunity in the six-yard box.

“It’s something we can be better at and need to be better at, but at the same time I still think conceding one goal today, with the amount of chances we’ve created we still should have won the game.”

Late on, the hosts thought they should have had a spot-kick when they had justified shouts after Carlton Morris handballed inside the area, Appleton adding: “I think it was.

“We pointed it out to the referee but we got done again. It was a clear handball, it was a clear penalty.

“All I would say is that it just summed up our day, because even after that we have two or three scrambling moments where we could and should have scored.

“The players kept going and they put them under the cosh. Unfortunately we couldn’t get the goal.”