Owens Stays at Seaside

With the news surrounding Roy O’Donovan’s appendix not looking good, Tony Parkes has moved swiftly to seal a third and final months’ loan deal for Middlesborough winger Graeme Owens.

O’Donovan, who has played nine times in tangerine, looks likely to be out of the game for the majority – if not all – of the season.

But Owens deputised for the Irish winger on Tuesday night as ‘Pool came from a goal behind to draw at Sheffield United, and by all accounts proved that he’s capable of holding down a wide berth in the team.

Renounded for his direct running at full backs, Owens is set to start away at Barnsley on Saturday with David Vaughan still suffering with a groin injury.

Owens’ last match for Blackpool could come at Deepdale on 11 April – a day before his loan spell runs out. And it could be a tricky situation when that loan does run out, with four games still to navigate in The Championship before the end of the season.

So I would expect at least another winger to come in, probably towards the end of this month, to cover injuries. The club are still ‘hopeful’ that they will land a striker – which they still desperately need – before Saturday, but a signature before then remains doubtful, given our track record since January.