Bolton Wanderers 2-2 Blackpool - Manager match reaction

In what turned out to be a topsy turvy match, Bolton had dominated for more than an hour and deservedly went ahead through Eoin Toal on 66 minutes.

The goal served to wake up Blackpool, however, and two quickfire goals from Hayden Coulson and George Honeyman put Ian Evatt’s side within sight of their first league win on Wanderers soil since March 1986.

Mason Burstow made sure it was honours even, however, with a brilliant header from Max Conway’s cross five minutes from time.

And there was still time for Blackpool to nearly snatch the points again with Ashley Fletcher striking the outside of the post in stoppage time.

“I thought it was a bit of a mad game,” Schumacher reflected. “It was a game that we've done loads of good stuff in, played some really good football, controlled large parts of it, got ourselves in front, deservedly so. And then a five-minute spell of madness.

“The first goal was a case of them winning a second ball and then another ricocheting to them, so that can happen.

“The second is obviously just a huge error that puts us on the back foot, but we responded well again and could have won it at the end, could have lost it. So, yeah, mad game.”

Lincoln’s win at Mansfield now means the gap to the automatic promotion spots is 10 points – a tall order, but one Schumacher insists should not be written off as unachievable.

“We won't give up, because you can't. Football is a funny old game and things can change quickly, and it'll only change quickly if you focus on yourselves and you keep getting results.

“I think over the last three games, which were three difficult games, we've shown really good signs of what we're about. We should have won at Reading, we probably should have won today on the balance of things, and we took a point at Lincoln. So, our performance is where they need to be, performance levels, but obviously we need to turn one point into three quickly if we're going to get automatic, and if we're going to sustain a play-off push.

“But the lads have given us everything, they're playing really well, they're sticking together as a group, and we'll be fine.”

Wanderers put in 42 crosses and had 15 corners on the day but took more than an hour to get themselves on the board through Toal.

Chances fell to George Johnston, Rob Apter, Chris Forino, Jordi Osei-Tutu and Kyle Dempsey and Schumacher found it difficult to be too critical.

“We had loads of control in the game, and I must give Blackpool a bit of credit, because they defended really well, and that's something of late that they haven't done very well,” he said. “They've conceded goals, a lot of them lately, that are a bit soft, but today they put the bodies on the line and defended their goal well, and quite often would block it and go out for corners.

“But I did think we looked dangerous from all of our set-plays, the delivery was generally pretty good, and the one that we scored from was a perfect delivery, and Eoin Toal rose highest to score. I thought from that minute, OK, come on, let's go and get the second goal and kill this game off, because at that stage we were well on top.

“Then they get their goal from a ricochet that falls to them, and it gives them a bit of momentum. And then we make a huge error, which gives them even more momentum, and loads of energy from them looking dead and buried, they're in the game.

“We responded and scored, Thierry could have won it, and then when they went round the goalkeeper and hit the post, it was a mad ending to it, but I'm not too frustrated with how we played, we've done really well again.”

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