'It's only one win, but it feels like a big one': Verdict on Jerry Yates and Blackpool's gutsy display against Watford

But on this occasion there can be no questioning the Seasiders got exactly what they deserved as they claimed a much-needed first win in five – to relieve some pressure on themselves more than anything.

You could sense the big sigh of relief a mile off as Jerry Yates thundered home the second goal of his quickfire double to make it 3-1 and put the game to bed.

Up to that point, as we entered an anxious final 15 minutes or so, you had that nagging feeling this might be another afternoon Blackpool might live to regret.

The performance was there, the physical excerpts certainly were too. But they were just lacking that final touch in front of goal, as we’ve witnessed on so many occasions already this season.

Stepping up to the plate

But we needn’t have worried, because Jerry stepped up with two moments of magic to send Bloomfield Road utterly delirious.

When you talk about needing a moment of quality in the final third to make the difference in a game, and trust me, I’ve bored myself the amount of times I’ve had to write it this season, Yates did exactly that and then some.

To be fair, he got a helping hand with his first goal and Blackpool’s second, as substitute CJ Hamilton stood up a pinpoint cross for him to welly home into the far corner – finally finding a way past the seemingly impenetrable Daniel Bachmann.

But his second, scored just four minutes later, was all Jerry. It was Yates back to his best, bringing back memories of his 23-goal haul as he fired Blackpool to promotion from League One a couple of seasons ago.

It was Jerry playing off instinct, not dilly-dallying on the ball and constantly taking too many touches before giving the ball away, as he has often been guilty of.

This was wham, bam, thank you Ma’am as he turned his marker once, twice and three times before coolly dispatching a low shot past the hapless keeper. It was a breathless piece of football.

Confidence

It shows you exactly what a bit of confidence can do. Would he have done it 10 minutes earlier, prior to his first goal? I highly doubt it. But with adrenaline pumping through his veins, and with the roar of the North Stand sucking the ball in, Yates started and finished the move like a seasoned Championship goalscorer.

Even prior to his match-winning late cameo, Yates had already been one of Blackpool’s standout players. His display mirrored the team’s, in that it was gutsy and full of heart and desire.

Those qualities don’t always get you three points, the aforementioned quality does, but it keeps you in games and drags you back on top when Watford had previously looked the stronger side.

With Michael Appleton concerned about Watford’s strength down their left flank, Yates was deployed as a deep wing-back to help out Callum Connolly. That’s not to say Connolly was playing poorly, far from it, but the Hornets were just that strong in that area of the pitch.

You could tell Jerry was getting frustrated, he was virtually glued to Connolly at times, that’s just how deep he was having to play.

But the striker knew it was for the greater good and thankfully, for both himself and his teammates, he got his rewards at the end.

Catching the eye

Yates wasn’t the only star performer though. Gary Madine led the line brilliantly, took his early goal well and was unfortunate not to score a second with a powerful header. He won flick-on after flick-on too.

Liam Bridcutt also deserves huge praise for his impact off the bench, providing some much-needed bite to Blackpool’s midfield. He made a real difference to the team’s structure out of possession which meant Watford, who played through the thirds seemingly at will during the first-half, found it really difficult to get in and around the Blackpool goal in the second period.

Irony

It was ironic that Blackpool were actually able to capitalise on their bright start to this game on this occasion, because for the remainder of the first-half they were very much second best.

Madine put them ahead after 10 minutes with a deft lob after Connolly had picked him out in space with an aggressive header from Dom Thompson’s crossfield ball (just on the subject of Thompson, how good was it to see the left-back celebrating a goal-kick later on in the game?!)

But the early opener seemed to bizarrely work against the Seasiders, as it only spurred Slaven Bilic’s men into action.

Their expensively-assembled squad made its quality tell as they passed the ball around at will, dictating the tempo of the match until the interval.

Yet, for all of their good play, clear-cut chances were relatively few and far between and they had to rely on a moment of sheer quality from Imran Louza to get them back on level terms.

After Charlie Patino had been penalised for a foul right on the corner of the box, Louza stuck the ball into the far corner of Chris Maxwell’s net with impressive aplomb. It was the sort of reminder Blackpool really didn’t need of the quality on show in this division, especially among those sides that have recently come down from the top flight.

But, just as was the case against both Burnley and Norwich City, showed no respect to Watford, or no more respect than they deserved anyway – and got their rewards late on.

We must remind ourselves this is only one win, as big as it is. It won’t mean a great deal if it’s not backed up with more positive results down the line.

Sheffield United are next up and that certainly won’t be an easy one, but where’s the fun in doing things the easy way?