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Brentford logo
Championship
Feb 24, 2015 at 7.45pm UK
 
Blackpool

4-0

Toral (16', 18', 89'), Gray (52')
FT(HT: 2-0)

Preview: Brentford vs. Blackpool

Sports Mole previews Tuesday's Championship clash between playoff-chasing Brentford and bottom-of-the-table Blackpool at Griffin Park.

Brentford will look to get their playoff challenge back on track when they host bottom-of-the-table Blackpool at Griffin Park on Tuesday night.

The Bees put their managerial turmoil behind them at the weekend as the fans and players rallied behind Mark Warburton to record an impressive 3-1 victory over high-flyers Bournemouth.

Three defeats in four matches before that had seen Brentford slip out of the playoff places, but a swift return to form would limit the damage.

Just one point separates them from Norwich City and Watford in fifth and sixth respectively, and victory in midweek could lift them as high as fourth in the table should other results fall kindly for them.

They will certainly be expecting to pick up three points against a Blackpool side struggling so badly, despite the Bees having lost four of their last six matches at Griffin Park in all competitions.

Even with that slump in home form, only three Championship teams have picked up more points in front of their own fans this season, with Brentford losing just one of their first 11 home league games.

Warburton will again be without Jake Bidwell as he serves the last game of his three-match suspension, which means that Stuart Dallas may be asked to fill in at left-back once more.

Alan Judge and Alan McCormack both returned from injury in the victory over Bournemouth, while Lewis Macleod is also nearing a comeback as Warburton edges closer to having a fully fit squad to choose from.

Despite a busy period of fixtures, the hosts could look to keep changes to a minimum, with Andre Gray continuing up front despite loanee Chris Long coming off the bench to score at the weekend and having recently extended his stay at the club.

Blackpool, meanwhile, come into this match still winless in February and now 12 points adrift of safety, although there have been a number of promising signs in recent weeks.

The Tangerines followed up their remarkable 4-4 draw against Nottingham Forest with another point at the weekend, holding playoff outsiders Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park.

That was enough for manager Lee Clark to proclaim that his side could still beat the drop this season, although he also acknowledged that it would take a "ridiculous" run of form to do so.

Saturday's match with fellow strugglers Wigan Athletic could have a say on their distant survival hopes, but Blackpool realistically find themselves in a situation where every game is now a must-win one if they are to pull off the greatest of escapes.

Their away form is still the biggest in a long line of weaknesses for the club, with Blackpool now the only side in the top four tiers of English football yet to pick up a victory on their travels this season. Indeed, their woeful form now stretches to just one win in their last 35 away games in all competitions.

Blackpool had a threadbare squad to choose from during their draw with Blackburn last time out, but Clark is hopeful of welcoming Steven Davies back into the side after he missed out through illness at the weekend.

Darren O'Dea is also pushing for a return and Tom Aldred is available again after suspension, but the match comes too soon for Andrea Orlandi, who remains sidelined.

Brentford:

Recent form: WLWLLW

Possible starting lineup: Button; Odubajo, Tarkowski, Craig, Dallas; Diagouraga, Douglas, Jota, Pritchard, Jon Toral; Gray

Blackpool:

Recent form: LWLLDD

Possible starting lineup: Lewis; Maher, O'Dea, Aldred, Dunne; Perkins, O'Hara, Cameron, Telford, Ferguson; Davies

Sports Mole says: 2-0


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Written by
Barney Corkhill
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