Gillingham head to Bloomfield Road on Easter Monday looking to regain their top six play-off spot.
Blackpool v Gillingham
Sky Bet League One
Bloomfield Road
Monday April 5
Kick-Off, 3pm
Team News:
Steve Evans has said that Robbie Cundy is getting close to a return. The defender has been training on grass since the Wigan game and will require a late fitness test to determine if he is fit enough to play a part.
Dominic Samuel could start the game as he continues to build his match fitness.
Blackpool's Sullay Kaikai was substituted late in the win against Swindon having picked up a knock. He will be assessed up until the last moment.
Marvin Ekpiteta and Gary Madine will both remain out as they continue to recover from their injuries. James Husband, Kevin Stewart, Matty Virtue, Keshi Anderson and CJ Hamilton will also miss the game.
Manager Comments:
Steve Evans - “They’ve got pace and power all over their team. They can play a number of systems and they do it at different times.
“They’re very good at working the ball through the lines, and they take chances when they come because they have the quality to do so.
“It will be a tough afternoon, but one we’ll look forward to.”
Kyle Dempsey - “You’ve got to respect this side. They’ve been in great form and they’ve had some great results against some good sides.
“We’ve played some really good sides over these last few weeks. It’s about going there doing as we’ve done, not changing anything and look to go there and get the three points, which will be massive for us.”
Neil Critchley- “It will be a really tough game on Monday. Gillingham are in really good form and since Christmas they’ve picked up a lot of points. We’re in good form ourselves and have good home form."
Previous Meetings:
26/09/2020 - Gillingham 2-0 Blackpool - Sky Bet League One
11/02/2020 - Blackpool 2-3 Gillingham - Sky Bet League One
20/08/2019 - Gillingham 2-2 Blackpool - Sky Bet League One
04/05/2019 - Blackpool 0-3 Gillingham - Sky Bet League One
06/11/2018 - Gillingham 0-1 Blackpool - Sky Bet League One
Gills won the meeting between the two sides earlier this season. Dominic Samuel scored a brace in his highly anticipated second debut as Steve Evans’ side won 2-0.
A memorable win at Bloomfield Road came on the final day of the 2018/19 season. A Brandon Hanlan goal and Tom Eaves brace put Gills 3-0 up before half-time as they comfortably beat The Seasiders.
Blackpool leads the head-to-head with 15 wins to Gillingham’s 13. There have also been 14 draws between the sides.
Odds:
Blackpool win - Evens
Draw - 23/10
Gillingham win - 13/5
Special Bet: Dominic Samuel to score first and Gillingham to win 2-1 - 55/1.
Match Officials:
Referee: Darren Drysdale
Assistants: Anthony Moore and Kevin Mulraine
Fourth Official: Anthony Backhouse
iFollow:
All UK subscribers can watch Saturday’s game for a one-off fee of £10! Click the below graphic, or here, to purchase your iFollow video match pass. BBC Radio Kent will be in the press box to guide you through the action.
