Blackpool caretaker manager Barry Ferguson has conceded that his side are in a battle to remain in the Championship following a 2-1 home loss against Birmingham City.

Andy Keogh gave the Tangerines a 22-minute lead, but a Lee Novak brace in the second half ensured that Blackpool tasted defeat once more to leave themselves eight points above the drop.

"We're in a dogfight now. Simple," Ferguson is quoted as saying by Sporting Life. "I wasn't happy when we came in at half-time and we were only one-nil up. The game should have been dead and buried in the first half.

"We started well enough in the second half and we got a sloppy goal against us again. Even then we still had chances in the second half we should have put away. We're not clinical enough.

"I'll never stop learning and improving and I'll do that again on Monday morning when they come into training. They're moving in the right direction. But we've still got a lot of work to do."

Blackpool return to action with a trip to Watford next weekend.