Neil Critchley was delighted to give the Blackpool fans a performance to remember after cruising to a 3-0 Carabao Cup win over Middlesbrough.

Callum Connolly scored his first Tangerines goal before Shayne Lavery and Keshi Anderson’s quick-fire second-half double sealed the tie.

Blackpool will host Sunderland in the second round later this month.

“I am really pleased, it was a comprehensive and fully-deserved win,” said boss Critchley.

“I thought we controlled the game from start to finish and could have won by more.

“We created some excellent chances and looked really dangerous going forward, especially in the first half.

“I felt we were comfortable and they never looked like getting back into it. We were solid throughout.

“I thought Josh Bowler was superb and really caused them problems in the first half.

“It is really pleasing to have got to win for the fans. I wanted us to give them a performance and we certainly did that.”

Connolly rifled home a powerful shot on 31 minutes to open the all-Championship clash.

Boro struggled for any meaningful goal threat thereafter and were made to pay when Lavery beat Joe Lumley at the near post.

Substitute Anderson made it 3-0 when his flick-on found the net 12 minutes from time.

Middlesbrough boss Neil Warnock said: “We got well and truly beaten.

“At 1-0 I thought we had some good chances to get back in it, but we never really capitalised on anything. We never looked like scoring.

“I am not very happy tonight. It is disappointing because that is our back-up squad against their back-up squad.

“It has answered a few questions, which is what I wanted. We have not got a squad big enough to come here and lose two players.

“Tonight shows what we have got in back-up and it is disappointing really. There were one or two players that were poor.”