Preview: Blackpool vs Exeter City - prediction, team news, lineups

Two teams fighting for survival will meet on Friday as Blackpool welcome Exeter City to Bloomfield Road.

The hosts currently sit 20th in the League One table and are only two points above Exeter, who slipped into the relegation zone last weekend.

Match preview

Blackpool moved out of the bottom four last weekend with an important victory over fellow strugglers Burton Albion and are now unbeaten in their last three games.

Following a run of five matches without a win, Blackpool have picked up victories over Port Vale and Burton and drawn with second-placed Cardiff City.

CJ Hamilton scored the only goal of the game in stoppage-time against Burton on Saturday and manager Ian Evatt felt his side "deserved to win" in front of a sold-out home crowd.

Despite their struggles this season, the Seasiders do have a strong recent record at home and have picked up six league wins, two draws and three losses at Bloomfield Road since the start of December.

However, Blackpool do have the worst defensive record in the division, having conceded 63 goals in 40 games so far this season.

Exeter, meanwhile, are without a win in their last 14 league games and are also in real danger of dropping into League Two.

The Grecians did earn a hard-fought point against Leyton Orient last weekend, ending a run of five consecutive defeats, and interim manager Matt Taylor felt the match was the "first time we've been on top of a team like that for a long time".

However, he was once again left bemoaning a lack of "real clinical moments" in the final third as Exeter have failed to score in four of their last five.

It is worth noting that Exeter thumped Blackpool 4-1 at home earlier this season, but that was the first time they have ever beaten the Seasiders in the league.

Exeter also have a particularly poor away record this season, having only picked up four wins on the road all season.

Blackpool League One form:

D L L W D W

Exeter City League One form:

L L L L L D

Team News

Blackpool are set to welcome Bailey Peacock-Farrell and Karoy Anderson back from international duty, but only Peacock-Farrell is likely to start as Northern Ireland were in action in Europe and Anderson was away in Mexico with Jamaica.

Both Oliver Casey and Josh Bowler picked up knocks against Burton and could be replaced by Reuell Walters and Hayden Coulson.

Exeter will be hoping goalkeeper Joe Whitworth will be fit after he suffered a leg injury ahead of the Leyton Orient game, with Jack Bycroft set to deputise if he remains unavailable.

The Grecians are also set to welcome back Timur Tutierov and Josh Magennis from international duty and Tutierov is likely to replace Carlos Mendes Gomes in the starting lineup, while Magennis may have to settle for a place on the bench.

Blackpool possible starting lineup:

Peacock-Farrell; Walters, Horsfall, Husband; Hamilton, Honeyman, Brown, Randall, Coulson; Fletcher, Bloxham

Exeter City possible starting lineup:

Bycroft; McMillan, Sweeney, Woodhouse, Andrew; Cummins, McDonald; Niskanen, Cole, Tutierov; Wareham