Neil Critchley hailed a brave Blackpool performance as the Seasiders beat promotion rivals Barnsley 3-2 to boost their League One play-off chances.

Goals from Sonny Carey, James Husband and Hayden Coulson put the hosts 3-0 up but John McAtee pulled one back for Barnsley, before Adam Phillips’ late strike set up a nervy finish.

Blackpool need to win their final game of the season away to Reading, and hope that both Lincoln and Oxford drop points in order to secure a place in the top six.

Blackpool are bang in form and have now won their last four games, with Critchley proud of their battling display.

“We don’t do things easy, but I thought we were outstanding up until they scored their first goal. Even when they scored their first goal, we had chances to make it 4-1,” he said.

“We looked a really good team. Our mentality was excellent, we played with confidence and took the game to the opposition. I’m not sure how it ended 3-2, but we won and we take it down to a very exciting and interesting last day.

“It was on par with our best of the season the first hour. We played with a calmness in possession and with an intensity without the ball. We were dangerous.

“I didn’t enjoy the end to the game, but I’m grateful we got the three points.

“We had to win this game, so we took the handbrake off and went for it. The only blot on the copybook today was the goals we conceded.”

Carey gave Blackpool the lead on 12 minutes with a curling shot from 25 yards out that found the corner, while Husband headed in Karamoko Dembele’s pinpoint free-kick before Coulson smashed one into the roof of the net just after the restart.

McAtee pulled one back for Barnsley to give them a glimmer of hope midway through the second half, steering into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

Phillips then set up a nervy finish in added time when he fired into the corner, but Critchley’s side held on.

Barnsley know a win on the final day will secure them a play-off place but manager Neil Collins knows they can not relax.

“I think we just got overwhelmed at the start of the game and we created our own problems right from the start – poor clearances, poor in tackles, poor defending,” he said.

“We came out second half, and again we made poor decisions and went 3-0 down. It would have been very easy for the players to feel sorry for themselves, and were it not for some of the officiating we should be standing here with a point.

“Performance wise, it wasn’t up to standard. But the spirit the players showed was really good, and again we were on the wrong side of a couple of decisions.”

Barnsley head coach Neill Collins praised the resilience of his side as they came from behind twice to draw 2-2 with Reading.

Sam Smith and Lewis Wing netted for the visitors, with Adam Phillips and Fabio Jalo providing equalisers.

Collins said: “Ultimately, we gave ourselves a chance to win the game. But equally, we didn’t give ourselves enough of a chance with some of the mistakes we made.

“I thought the players’ effort, attitude, resilience was fantastic and they gave everything right to the last minute.

“I think in the last 10-15 minutes we were the team that looked most like winning.”

On his side’s start to the game, Collins said: “I think we started the game really well. We created opportunities, but then a little bit of nervousness crept in. There were moments in the first half that were poor.

“But there was equally good play at the other end. There were aspects of it I was disappointed with, but it wasn’t a really poor first-half performance.

“It was just moments where poor decision-making and poor execution led to chances.

“We caused them equal amount of problems going the other way and it was just one of those games in terms of the open nature of it.”

On his side coming back from behind twice, Collins said: “To score quick helped us a lot. I think it got the stadium up and then Fabio (Jalo) nearly just took the roof off two minutes later with his shot that blasted off the post.”

Reading head coach Ruben felt his side should have won. He said: “I don’t consider it a very good point. I think we deserved the three points.

“I think we had chances to go and win the game. We didn’t take our chances to do it and in the end, we suffer a little bit.

“I don’t like the point; I prefer to take three. I think we deserve more.

“I think it’s a signal of where we are moving and how we are moving as a team. We can come here, we can compete, we can use our principles and now we need to make one more step and finish the chances when we have them.

“Today I think we should make it and get at least one more goal. I want to believe it’s part of the process.

“There’s still a couple of games to go and we need to continue growing.”

On the amount of chances his side were creating, Selles said: “I’m pleased with the way that we play, the personality we have.

“We have ambitions to be better and the team needs to be better and I need to push them to the limits. I think we are still in process.”

Barnsley had to come from behind twice to draw 2-2 draw with Reading.

The Reds are yet to confirm a play-off spot, whilst Reading have all-but ensured Sky Bet League One safety.

Sam Smith and Lewis Wing netted for the visitors, with Adam Phillips and Fabio Jalo providing equalisers.

The Royals opened the scoring in the 21st minute when Smith nodded home from Femi Azeez’s corner.

Barnsley levelled in the 29th minute when John McAtee dinked a cross from the left for Phillips to head in for his 10th goal of the season.

Smith wasted a guilt-edge chance to give Reading the lead in the 69th minute when he rolled an effort wide inside the six yard box from Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan’s cut back.

Ruben Selles’ side regained the lead with nine minutes to play when Wing smashed one home from 25 yards out.

Barnsley responded well though and equalised two minutes later through 18-year-old Jalo, who headed beyond substitute goalkeeper David Button.

Jalo almost won it for the hosts two minutes later when he broke free inside the box, but his laced effort struck the left-hand post.

Neill Collins is confident play-off chasing Barnsley can overcome their recent struggles after a 2-1 defeat to Stevenage leaves them looking over their shoulder at a crucial time in the season.

Goals from Jamie Reid and Dan Butler either side of the break earned Boro victory and they now sit within three points of sixth-placed Oxford, albeit having played a game more.

Barnsley, who had taken the lead through Adam Phillips’ 30th-minute strike, are precariously in fifth having taken just eight points from their last eight games, hitting a difficult patch of form at a crucial stage.

But Collins assured supporters it is only a matter of small margins to get them back on track.

He said: “People might make more of it than it is. We are disappointed with some of the recent results but I don’t think it will take a lot to turn it around.

“This is the first time we have lost two consecutive games since the third and fourth game of the season. The players have been really resilient and it was going to be tough tonight.

“There is no getting away that the recent run of results we have had, especially with the fixtures we have had, it’s not been good enough.

“I think we have been very consistent prior to that and I think we will get that back. At times we have been victims of our own mistakes but I think we need to not blow everything about proportion.

“We need to concentrate on getting the small margins back in our favour because I think that’s all it is.”

Victory for Stevenage brought an eight-game winless streak to an end. And with Steve Evans’ side playing Oxford next and the U’s also playing seventh-placed Lincoln, he believes Boro are still in with a chance of breaking back into the play-off spots.

He said: “Not often do I say that I’m prepared to lose, but I’m prepared to lose in a major way to try and win.

“The players just knew the mission for tonight was to get the three points and they got them and have gone in quietly. We will regroup and freshen up for Saturday.

“We have to win every game. We have been on the wrong end of some tough stuff and I said to them at half-time we can play eight up front tonight because that will be the way it will be.

“The managers that fail at this level continuously are not prepared to lose, but you have to be prepared to lose to win games.

“Neil Harris and Neil Warnock are specialists at it because in their heart they try to win and that is in me.”

Dan Butler’s second-half goal helped Stevenage reignite their play-off hopes with a 2-1 comeback victory against promotion-hopefuls Barnsley.

Boro were initially left to rue missed chances when Adam Phillips hit a lofted shot to put the Tykes ahead, but Jamie Reid levelled as the break approached and Butler secured victory with a powerful free-kick.

Stevenage find themselves three points off the play-off places, while Barnsley remain firmly in fifth position with three games left to play.

Barnsley’s Liam Roberts had an impact at both ends of the pitch as he stopped shots from Aaron Pressley and Elliott List.

The Tykes’ goalkeeper then punished Boro’s profligacy by finding Phillips behind Stevenage’s static defence and the midfielder fired past Craig MacGillivray to open the scoring on the half-hour mark.

Boro levelled in first-half stoppage time when Reid skipped past Phillips and drilled a shot home to score their first goal in 317 minutes.

And their second quickly followed after the break when Butler’s free-kick crept through Barnsley’s wall. Reid cannoned a shot against a post late on as Stevenage edged to an important victory.

Barnsley manager Neill Collins was frustrated with the performance of the referee in a controversial 2-1 loss at Charlton as the Tykes were defeated on the road for the first time since November.

After two excellent goals from Alfie May had twice given Charlton the lead either side of an Adam Phillips penalty, a feisty second period saw a Fabio Jalo volley ruled out for a tight offside.

“We should have been sitting here with a point,” said Collins. “But we’re not because of a poor decision at the end of the game. He’s a yard onside, so I’m really disappointed with that.”

The visitors also had a shout for a penalty before the one they were awarded in the first half, when Devante Cole and Michael Hector tangled legs.

“It’s a stonewall penalty,” Collins added. “Devante goes through, he’s about to shoot, he gets bundled over. How he didn’t get that, I’m not quite sure.”

The Barnsley boss did concede that his side had the chances to win the game: “At half-time we should have been in the lead. But we weren’t because of missed opportunities.

“(Cole) is going through a little period right now. I’m sure it will be a matter of time before he’s putting them in the back of the net.

“Alfie May showed why he’s the top goalscorer in the league, with two great finishes. We’ve got players who are capable of doing that, but today we probably passed up too many good opportunities, and Charlton were pretty clinical.”

Charlton manager Nathan Jones was also quick to praise his forward.

“Alfie took his chances really well,” he said. “On the counter we were a constant threat and could have had more.”

“It’s an absolutely massive three points for us. A really good performance.

“They’re in the play-offs, they score goals freely, they’ve got one of the best away records. So for us to win the game, we’re delighted.”

After a winter spent just above the relegation zone, Jones has steadied the ship.

“I never take anything for granted but we’re not looking at that. All we want to do is keep moving forward,” he said.

Asked about what it takes to turn a club’s fortunes around so quickly, Jones gave a remarkably honest answer.

“Every part of your life. Literally every part of your life,” he said. “I live away from family. Anyone who works at the football club knows the hours we do, knows what we watch, knows how we prepare, knows how meticulous we are on every aspect of what we do.

“How we eat, how we sleep. If you want to raise standards then you have to set those standards, you have to live those standards.”

Alfie May’s double for Charlton secured a 2-1 win over play-off hopefuls Barnsley at The Valley.

May broke the deadlock with a tremendous free-kick in the 20th minute to fire Charlton ahead.

Adam Phillips grabbed an equaliser for Barnsley eight minutes later from the penalty spot following a handball by Kayne Ramsay.

But, after a dreadful miss from inside the six-yard box by Devante Cole, the Addicks regained the lead in the 40th minute when May curled in a shot from the left corner of the box following a clever dummy by George Dobson.

Chuks Aneke missed a 94th-minute penalty for Charlton after Liam Roberts fouled Tyreece Campbell, and Barnsley assistant coach Jon Stead was sent off for dissent a minute later.

Defeat left Barnsley with two wins from seven matches and Cole wihtout a goal in 12. But the Tykes still only need seven points from their last five games to guarantee a play-off spot.

The Addicks have now gone 11 games without defeat.

Promotion-chasing Barnsley failed to capitalise on their dominance as they were held to a 0-0 draw at home to relegation-battling Cheltenham in League One.

The Tykes slipped seven points off the automatic promotion places and – with the four teams above them all playing each other – missed the chance to move up to fourth.

Cheltenham remain in the bottom four and are without a win in six, but the draw edged them to within five points of safety.

Jon Russell thought he had put the hosts ahead after four minutes when he turned home Luca Connell’s free-kick, but the assistant referee had raised his flag for offside.

The Tykes countered dangerously in the 31st minute as Adam Phillips slotted through to Sam Cosgrove, but his low effort from the edge of the box was always curling wide.

Cheltenham almost took the lead against the run of play in the 34th minute when Tom Pett curled one towards the bottom right corner from the edge of the box and prompted a smart save from Liam Roberts.

Russell should have broken the deadlock four minutes after the break when he was found at the back post by Cosgrove but dinked his close-range effort over the crossbar.

Barnsley substitute Devante Cole had an opportunity to make it 1-0 with eight minutes to play when a smart cross from Phillips gave the forward a free header inside the box, but he nodded wide.

Lincoln head coach Michael Skubala praised his side’s intensity as they secured an emphatic 5-1 victory over promotion-chasing Barnsley at Oakwell.

Joe Taylor opened the scoring before Jack Moylan (2), Daniel Mandriou and Jovon Makama added second-half goals.

Adam Phillips pulled one back for the hosts, but they could not push for a comeback.

Skubala said: “We started the game really well; we started the game really bright. Our press was a little bit different to try and deal with Barnsley’s way of playing.

“I thought second half we were bang on.

“What pleased me today was, the whole team was connected. We were really good out of possession, we were aggressive when we needed to be aggressive, we didn’t give second balls up.

“Our energy and intensity was a little bit too much for them.”

On the performance of Mandriou, Skubala said: “Daniel Mandriou is a good player. We’ve had to play him a little bit lower, but again we trust him with what to do.

“Another player that’s been out the team for a bit, not getting the minutes he wants.

“He came on today and I thought he did a brilliant job.”

On the goals his side scored, Skubala said: “Good goals, I’m really pleased with all the goals. All the goals were good finishes.

“What’s really pleasing is we took our chances. We feel like sometimes we’re getting into the final third and we just need a bit more quality.

“But today I thought they showed the quality in the final third which is brilliant.”

Barnsley head coach Neill Collins admitted it was a poor performance from his team.

He said: “It probably doesn’t take rocket science to work out that the majority, if not all of our team, were way below the standards they’ve set.

“I should stress that the players have been fantastic this season, they’ve taken a lot of plaudits and rightfully so.

“But today there were just so many that fell below the levels and made individual, basic errors that were capitalised on by a very good side, who are in a very good moment.

“The scoreline was a combination of things and the biggest one just being that we had too many players being way below par.

“When you make mistakes and you get punished by goals then you take it out of your hands.

“We started poorly, went behind. But then from that point on we looked ourselves, looked like we were getting into great positions.

“But you just can’t legislate when you’re already 1-0 down to make the mistakes that we did for the second and third goal.

“There’s no question that we made it an awful lot easier for them and we don’t normally make it easy for teams.”

Lincoln extended their unbeaten run to 11 games with an emphatic 5-1 away victory over Barnsley.

Joe Taylor opened the scoring before a Jack Moylan brace, Daniel Mandriou and Jovon Makama added second-half goals.

Adam Phillips pulled one back for the hosts, but they could not push for a comeback.

Lincoln took the lead after 15 minutes when Lasse Sorensen knocked it across for Taylor to finish beyond Liam Roberts.

They doubled their lead in the 55th minute through substitute Moylan, who weaved past the Barnsley defence before slotting past Roberts.

Michael Skubala’s side added a third three minutes later when Josh Earl gave the ball away in his own half. Mandriou picked up the ball and drove into the box before finding the back of the net.

Moylan got his second of the game in the 72nd minute when he let fly from 25 yards out and found the bottom left corner.

Barnsley pulled one back with 13 minutes to play when Phillips fired home from inside the box.

The Imps responded quickly and added a fifth through Makama two minutes later.

Herbie Kane hit the winner for promotion-chasing Barnsley as they beat second-bottom Fleetwood 2-1.

The Tykes had led through Sam Cosgrove’s header midway through the first half, but Bosun Lawal brought the relegation-battling Cod Army level with a stunning long-range strike.

Barnsley, League One’s best travellers with just one away defeat all season, won via Kane’s goal on the hour mark.

Cosgrove had sent a perfectly-placed header from Adam Phillips’ cross inside the far post to give the visitors the lead.

But with just over half an hour played, Lawal let fly with a rocket that beat Liam Roberts’ despairing dive and found the top corner.

Fleetwood had deserved to go in level at the break as, once they had fallen behind, Promise Omochere headed wide from close range and a towering header by Ben Heneghan was brilliantly tipped over by Roberts.

In the second half a chance at either end went begging, Ronan Coughlan denied by Roberts and Nicky Cadden shooting wide for Barnsley.

Kane restored the lead in the 59th minute, slotting into the bottom corner from another Phillips pass.

Fleetwood forward Coughlan was thwarted by Mael de Gevigney’s tackle and at the other end Phillips saw a fierce shot palmed away by Jay Lynch.

Home midfielder Gavin Kilkenny sent a powerful strike inches over in stoppage time, and the visitors managed to see out the victory.

Barnsley boss Neill Collins hopes Adam Phillips’ dramatic late double can be a pivotal moment in their season.

The Tykes were heading for defeat against Leyton Orient until Phillips equalised in the 88th minute.

And, despite Barnsley going down to 10 men when Luca Connell saw red, Phillips struck again in stoppage time to secure a 2-1 win that moved them within four points of the automatic promotion places in League One.

“It’s not the way we planned it,” said a relieved Collins.

“I thought losing an early goal is always an issue. But the players responded very well, as did the crowd.

“And together we just kept going right to the very end. And you could see at the end, even with 10 men, when everyone’s up it’s very difficult and I’m so pleased for everyone that we got what I think was a deserved winning goal.

“At the end there, it could be a really pivotal moment of the season. It was great to see the second goal go in.”

Orient took the lead through Ruel Sotiriou in the 10th minute.

But their eight match unbeaten run came to an end as Phillips bagged a brace either side of Connell being shown a second yellow card.

Orient boss Richie Wellens was not happy with how his side attempted to hold on to their lead.

“It’s not cruel when you sit deep and invite teams on,” he said.

“I think first 20 minutes, half an hour we were very good. We went 1-0 up and every time we attacked we looked a real threat.

“Then we didn’t play with enough bravery to pass the ball, we didn’t play with enough bravery to switch the ball and everything we wanted to do.

“And the accumulation of not being brave enough and fatigue, especially in the last 10-15 minutes, has cost us the game.

“I don’t think we can begrudge them. I think they deserved to win the game cos the pressure was building.

“Our game management was really, really poor. And if you allow teams like this to build momentum and you never break it, then unfortunately you’re going to pay the price.”

Zac Ashworth scored for a second successive weekend to earn Bolton a 1-1 comeback draw against Skybet League One promotion rivals Barnsley.

But the Tykes will rue a series of missed chances before the West Brom loanee headed in a cross by substitute Aaron Collins after 64 minutes.

Bolton were beaten in last season’s third tier play-off semi-finals by the Oakwell outfit.

And they trailed after five minutes as Adam Phillips flicked on Barry Cotter’s long throw for Devante Cole’s 17th goal of the campaign.

Barnsley should have gone 2-0 up after 28 minutes as Josh Sheehan’s error gave Neill Collins’ side a four-on-two advantage but Phillips dragged his eventual shot wide.

Bolton continued to labour in the second half. They were indebted to keeper Nathan Baxter for three saves in quick succession from Cole, Phillips and John McAtee.

Boss Ian Evatt’s response saw Collins replace top scorer Dion Charles. And with his first touch the ex-Bristol Rovers star centred for Ashworth to rescue a point.

Collins almost won it for Wanderers but his deflected effort was tipped away by Liam Roberts.

Barnsley strengthened their promotion bid with a 1-0 win at play-off rivals Oxford to avenge their defeat by the U’s earlier in the season and extend their unbeaten league run to 11 games.

It was an unfortunate return to the Oxford side for defender Sam Long after three months sidelined with injury.

Barnsley’s 29th-minute winner came when Long just got in front of Tykes striker Devante Cole and headed Adam Phillips’ wicked right-wing cross into his own goal.

Long had to leave the pitch with a head injury following a midfield clash moments later.

Both sides had good scoring opportunities before the goal.

Fin Stevens fired wide for Oxford from Mark Harris’ lay-off and John McAtee steered a Nicky Cadden cross wide at the near post for the visitors.

Barnsley also went close when a Cadden left-wing cross was carried by the wind and came back off the far post.

Cameron Brannagan was unlucky not to equalise six minutes from the end with a 20-yard drive that came back off the bar.

Barnsley manager Neill Collins hopes his side learn from their mistakes in the second half after they held off a fight back from Port Vale to win 3-2.

Adam Phillips opened the scoring before John McAtee added a quickfire brace, including a stunning strike from 35 yards for his second, to make it 3-0 after 37 minutes.

But Vale fought back after the break, with Ethan Chislett and Jack Shorrock both finding the net to make the scoreline much more respectable.

Victory keeps the Tykes in seventh spot in the League One table, two points outside the play-offs.

However, Collins believes his team should have put the game to bed and pinpointed a good chance for Herbie Kane, which was well saved by Connor Ripley just moments before Chislett earned Vale a lifeline in the 72nd minute, as an opportunity to do that.

“In the first half, I thought we were outstanding,” he said.

“I thought the quality of our goals was excellent, I thought we looked a real threat, I thought we looked comfortable defensively.

“So everything that was probably good about the first half was negative about the second, particularly the last 20 minutes.

“I thought we started a bit slow coming out in the second half, then we had a little period where we looked like a threat again and we probably should have made it four when Herbie Kane goes through.

“Port Vale got their goal and we had to make certain changes – some we made decisions on and some were forced.

“And I thought once they got their tails up, we struggled to cope with it.

“But I can’t take anything away from a great three points. I think we tend to have games like this in the Christmas period, and hopefully we learn from it.”

Defeat for the Valiants brought their three-match unbeaten league run to an end and saw them drop one place to 16th.

Boss Andy Crosby was left to rue an extremely disappointing first-half display, but was pleased with how his side responded.

“What was happening in that first half, we looked devoid of anything,” he said.

“The second half reaction is more like I want us to be.

“We played with pride, we played with enthusiasm, we played with quality.

“I can’t mask over that first-half performance and it’s something that I have to apologise to the fans for, because it was really poor.

“There’s a number of things – if you don’t track runs into the box, if you don’t defend balls into your box, you’re going to get hurt because of the quality of the opposition.

“They’ve obviously got a number of really good attacking options. They’ve got a good team. That’s why they are where they are in the league.

“And when you’re giving that much space and freedom to play, they’re going to hurt you.”