High praise for Peterborough United from Blackpool boss who slammed an 'appalling decision' that took the game away from his side

Posh romped to a 3-0 win – their first success in six competitive outings – to book a Wembley final date against either Bradford City or Wycombe Wanderers on Sunday, April 7.

Posh outclassed a Blackpool side who had won a League One game 2-1 at the Weston Homes Stadium a handful of days earlier.

Harrison Burrows scored twice, once following a hotly contested penalty decision, after Malik Mothersille’s quality strike gave Posh a half-time lead.

Critchley told the Blackpool Gazette: “It’s hard to take as you don’t get many opportunities to go to Wembley, but we can have no complaints about the outcome of the game. Peterborough played very well and were the better team so congratulations to them and they deservedly go to Wembley.

"They slightly changed from what they did on Saturday, and I thought their technical quality in the first period of the game was outstanding, and we struggled with that. We grew into the game, and made a change in the second half that went in our favour. We were causing them problems, but left space on the break. You’ve got no other option other than to go for it in the semi-final.

“We weren’t at our best, but that’s something to do with how Peterborough played. Sometimes you’ve got to hold your hands up and say the better team won.

“Goals change games. In the second half we had changed what we were doing and we won the ball back more and were more aggressive. We had a couple of opportunities, and there could’ve been more. The game was still there for us late in the day, but an appalling refereeing decision took the game away from us.

“If anything it’s more of a foul on our goalkeeper than it is a penalty.”

Blackpool host third-placed Bolton in a League One Lancashire derby on Saturday. Bolton won 2-1 at Cambridge United last night to move 10 points clear of Posh who dropped a place to sixth following Oxford United’s 2-1 home draw with Northampton Town.

Cambridge United striker Lyle Taylor was sent off for violent conduct in that game and will now miss the derby against Posh at the Abbey Stadium on Saturday.