Skipper Thomason hails 'immense character' in Blackpool comeback

George Thomason was delighted to hit the ground running against Blackpool after a frustrating spell on the sidelines.

The Wanderers skipper certainly made his mark on his return from a hamstring injury, unleashing a superb strike into the top corner.

“I am really happy to be back,” he said. “I have committed hard to my rehab over the last six weeks and managed to shave a couple of days off. Thankfully, I managed to have an impact.”

Thomason tends to do well against the Seasiders, who he spent time with as a youngster, and that trend continued as Ian Evatt’s men secured an important three points.

“I love scoring against anyone but when you are getting a few text messages from your friends, it is a bit more sweet,” the tenacious midfielder smiled.

“Everyone knows that the best feeling is winning games. That becomes even better when you beat neighbours or close rivals. It is a great feeling and hopefully a chance to build momentum.”

The Whites were under real pressure heading into the second half, desperate to avoid back-to-back league defeats against local opposition.

Thomason hailed the supporters at the Toughsheet Community Stadium, who played their part in a thrilling comeback.

“We know the situation we are in and when things are not going our way on the pitch, it is tough to get the fans on side because they want to see action, goals and a team winning,” he reflected.

“But the reality of football is it doesn’t always work that way and you have to have patience, even though it is not the easiest thing to ask for.

“We need that sometimes and I see the game as mini games – there are zones within the game where you might need to manage spells, get on the front foot, kill the game or play at a higher tempo.

“They bring out different things and when we scored in the second half, I could sense the fans behind us and trying to almost push that second goal in for us. It didn’t come right away but the boys finished the game strongly and got what we deserved.”

Thomason’s return is also a boost off the pitch, having taken on the captain’s armband earlier this season.

The 23-year-old sensed there had been a positive response during the week as the squad strived to bounce back from their pain at Edgeley Park.

“After the Stockport game, the lads had some choice words with one another and then had a few days to reflect after the Fleetwood match,” he recalled.

“Since Monday, the wok ethic and training has been excellent. I joined in earlier in the week and got to see how the boys were feeling, it was a really good week.

“I think we showed immense character, going behind in a tough scenario for many reasons. It shows we are fighting for the cause, we want to do well and win games.

“It is the Monday to Friday that no-one sees which is on show at the weekends, so we need to keep that consistently high.”