BLACKPOOL away. Such a long trip. Such an early start.

The journey up the M6 dragged a little, the only thing that sustained us was the assured expectation of yet another win for the U’s. I am a very optimistic person, you may notice!

After eventually arriving at Blackpool with a couple of hours to spare, we headed to the sea front for a few well-earned beers.

We then made our way into a near-empty Bloomfield Road – it’s a shame how one family can rip the heart and soul out of a once-thriving Premier League club.

One thing that annoys me about our fans is that they tend to spread out. Our away following is half decent and we do have quite a few vocal fans but we also lack a certain togetherness and that prevents us from intensifying the atmosphere.

After a promising start, it was a little surprising to have conceded so early on. But it came as no surprise when Kurtis Guthrie poked home to reinvigorate the fans. We were on the up again.

Sean Murray. What a great 25 minutes he played - he was pacey, enthusiastic and keen to impress. Unfortunately he may have been a little too enthusiastic when – after letting the ball run away from him – he threw himself into a hapless Jim McAlister. There was no intent – it was just a case of a player wanting to impress his new manager.

One controversial adjudication following the incident was the decision made by referee Mr Stockbridge to only award a yellow card to the Blackpool player who had his arms round he neck of a instantly regretful Murray.

Some argue he should have followed Murray off the pitch however, it could equally be argued that his reaction was understandable.

Afterwards it felt as if we had gained a point rather than dropped two. True, we could have nicked it at the end but for every goalscoring opportunity we had, Blackpool had two.

I always enjoy the long journey home from away trips - win draw or lose. I suppose it’s a relaxing, chilled-out time after a crazy 90 minutes. After reflecting on a relatively strong performance, I am sure many U’s fans will agree that we gained a valuable point that could prove to be very handy.

We have four very important home games coming up - eight points or more and we will definitely be challenging for promotion.

Barnet at home on Saturday and I’m going with a 2-1 home win. Up the U’s!