Stoke boss Tony Pulis disappointed not to have beaten Blackpool

EPL ; Tony Pulis, West Bromwich vs Stoke City (Getty Images)

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Stoke City boss Tony Pulis has admitted his side should have taken all three points after drawing 0-0 against Blackpool at Bloomfield Road.

Although bemoaning the dropped points, Pulis was full of praise for his players, who have endured a gruelling schedule of late, playing three games in a week.

Pulis said: “It was a tough game for us. It was a three game week having played Villa and Wolves, which was like two local derbies for us.

“Then to come away on the third game, being away from home, it was always going to be difficult for us.

“I thought the conditions – the wind and the pitch was a little bit lively – I thought the attitude of the players was very, very good and maybe we should have shaded it and got the three-points.”

Stoke should have been 1-0 up going into the dressing room at half-time, had striker Kenwyne Jones converted a chance eight yards out in front of an open goal, although Pulis refused to criticise the 26-year-old.

“Great strikers score great goals and they do miss chances, and easy chances as that but he’s been fantastic for us and they’ll be no problems with that,” he added.

“You can never say but obviously it would’ve given us a great lift going in at half-time.

“But second-half I think we had opportunities and on another day they could have dropped for us.

“I thought Glen’s Whelan couple of opportunities were very, very close but Blackpool are fighting for their lives and you have got to give them a lot of credit. It was a tough game.”

Speaking about the difference between his side’s promising performance, particularly compared to last December’s reverse fixture defeat performance to Blackpool at the Britannia Stadium, the Potters’ boss added: “I think the big difference was we created a hell of a lot more chances at our place than what we did today, but never took them.”

The Stoke manager gave credit to a Blackpool side who are in the midst of a relegation battle, although the one point earned today helped them avoid the drop zone as they sit in 17^th place.

“You’ve got to give them credit, it’s a tough place to come to and they give everything,” he said.

“I think the support was fanastic here, they only have one home game left so they’ve got to make sure they turn up and take the roof off for Ian Holloway and give the club the best opportunity it can have.”