Blackpool need no extra motivation for Preston North End clash says boss Michael Appleton

The Seasiders lost their midweek fixture, 3-1 to Hull City at Bloomfield Road, off the back of letting their lead slip in a dramatic meeting with Sheffield United.

Against the Tigers, Blackpool were without three players as a result of the 3-3 draw with the Blades, Marvin Ekpiteta, Dominic Thompson and Shayne Lavery were all sent off in that game, with the latter having to serve a three game ban for violent conduct.

Thompson and Ekpiteta were both sent off for picking up two yellow cards, meaning that the pair will be available to face PNE on Saturday, 12:30pm.

The Seasiders have lost four of their last six, drawing after coming from 2-0 down to take the lead against Sheffield United and beating Watford 3-1.

Leading scorer Jerry Yates scored twice in each of those high scoring games, and is currently their main goal threat with six goals so far this season.

Blackpool are also dealing with five first team players out injured: Jordan Gabriel (knee), Kevin Stewart (calf and fractured foot), Lewis Fiorini (hamstring), Keshi Anderson (quad) and Jake Beesley (fractured foot) – with three further players playing through knocks.

The adrenaline of the game will surely see those players through the 90 but one man familiar with what it is like to represent both clubs is the current Blackpool boss Michael Appleton.

A former PNE player, and now boss of the Seasiders, Appleton is one with a foot in both camps. He helped PNE to the Division Two title in 2000 and played almost 150 times in blue and white.

Now in his second stint as Pool boss, Appleton knows his players should need no extra motivation for the clash between two historic rivals and thinks this Saturday’s clash will be much different to his side’s sluggish showing on Wednesday.

He said: “I shouldn’t need to do anything, I shouldn’t need to do anything between now and Saturday.

“Clearly we will do, we will get them organised and prepared and they will know exactly what’s coming.

“But a game as big as Saturday is and the rivalry between the two football clubs, there’s not a lot I should need to do in terms of motivation.

“I’m sure they will know that from being in the area, going to the local shop, the garage or whatever it might be, I’m sure our supporters will make them aware how big a game this is.

"All I can say is that it will be different on Saturday because we’ll have three or four players come back into the fold who will be desperate to play.

“In terms of games, you can’t pick a better game to play. That’s what I said to the players, I can’t pick a better game for us to come back to on Saturday.

“It’s a short turnaround, so there’s not an opportunity for us to feel sorry for ourselves. What happened (against Sheffield United) on Saturday happened, it’s gone now. We’ve had this game to get it out of our system and now we’ve got an opportunity to play our biggest rivals and turn them over on our patch.”