Blackpool secured a deserved victory over Peterborough United and were even denied a stonewall penalty, insists manager Neil Critchley

Blackpool picked up just their fourth League One away win of the season at the Weston Homes Stadium thanks to a second half comeback capped by goals from Shayne Lavery and Karamoko Dembele.

Lavery equalised from the penalty spot after Jed Steer raced to the edge of his box and collided with Kyle Joseph before a last-gasp goal from substitute Karamoko Dembele moved Pool to within six points of the play-off places.

Blackpool Boss Neil Critchley was pleased to see his side respond to Tuesday’s defeat away at Cheltenham and insisted they were well worth their victory.

He did, however, believe that his side were denied a ‘stonewall’ penalty just minutes after their first was awarded following a collision between Harrison Burrows and Jordan Gabriel.

Critchley said: “We gave the supporters something to shout about today. We looked like a Blackpool team. We showed plenty of character to come from behind at such a difficult place, and that shows what this group is about.

“It was a terrific game, we were excellent. We got what we deserved.

“There wasn’t a lot in the first half and their best opportunities came from us giving the ball away. “I’m really disappointed with the goal as we’ve shown a vulnerability as set-pieces recently.

“We wobbled a bit after that, but the response in the second half was outstanding.

“We showed real character to come from behind and create the opportunities we did at a really tough place to come against a really good team.

“Kyle Joseph committing himself to get in there for the penalty epitomises the second half performance.

“We were much more on the front foot, getting to the ball first and being much more aggressive.

“Him and Shanye were a real handful in the second half, really relentless with their running and work ethic.

"Right after our equaliser, it’s a stonewell penalty, he goes at the lad, he squares him up, he takes it past him and it he’s brought down. The linesman gives it and the referee ignores him. The linesman might as well come and sit next to us. I was flabbergasted by it.

“That was a penalty, we’d just scored, we’d got the momentum and could have been 2-1 up. I was just thinking, here we go again. How many more times?

"I felt we created better opportunities and worked their keeper more than they worked ours. We reduced them to virtually nothing, which is an achievement against a team as good as Peterborough. When our mentality is right that’s what we are capable of.”

Blackpool host Posh in an EFL Trophy semi-final on Tuesday (February 20) before they entertain third-place Bolton Wanderers at Bloomfield Road next Saturday (Febuary 24),