Artell says on-loan midfielder showed lovely touches and was a threat before he began to tire late on at Bloomfield Road.

David Artell says he was pleased with Antony Evans’ second start for the club since completing his loan switch from German club side SC Paderborn. Evans came into the side for the injured Luke Murphy at Blackpool and completed 83 minutes before he was forced off through fatigue more than anything.

The former Everton Under-23 youngster showed some lovely touches and was always eager to probe and pass forward at Bloomfield Road. Artell was pleased with the contribution made by the 22-year-old midfielder against one of his former loan clubs.

Following the 1-1 draw with Blackpool, the boss told us: “People have to remember that Antony hasn’t played a lot of football, certainly not men’s football.

“He is still a young lad, he is still finding his feet and way in the game. Just because he is an ‘outsider’ we tend to overlook how young he is and don’t fully accept their playing history and the experience they have.

“I was pleased with Antony until he began to tire, he was threatening and produced some really nice touches. He played a large part in how we started the game and he was fine.”