LEEDS United boss Neil Redfearn hailed a “fair result” after his side were held to a 1-1 draw by Sky Bet Championship basement side Blackpool.

Gary Madine had given Blackpool the lead just before the break, but Italian forward Mirco Antenucci struck just after the hour to extend Leeds’ unbeaten run to five games.

Blackpool, the Championship’s bottom side, are now 17 points adrift of safety with only seven games to go. Before kick-off there were more protests by Blackpool fans against the club’s owners, the Oyston family, before hundreds of supporters boycotted the game to watch AFC Blackpool instead.

Redfearn said: “It’s a fair result because it’s a difficult surface to play on. It’s about whether you can avoid making many mistakes.

“We didn’t start well, we didn’t play the conditions right. I changed it and we looked better.

“It looked like it was going to be us that were going to nick it because we had that little bit more quality than them.

“I have to say it must be an absolute nightmare for them trying to get results on this. It’s just a quagmire. All it needs is a path through the middle and you’ve got park playing fields.

“You come to Blackpool, bottom of the league and everybody thinks you’re going to beat them six and seven and it doesn’t work like that. If you’re picking up points away from home you’re doing the right things.”

And Redfearn revealed he has spoken to England U21 boss Gareth Southgate after former Tadcaster Grammar School student Lewis Cook and Alex Mowatt were called up earlier in the week.

He added: “I’ve had the conversation with Gareth Southgate and he assures me they will look after the boys.”