Catman

Wes Hoolahan's 28th-minute penalty opened the scoring and soon after Kyle was shown a straight red card for an elbow on Blackpool skipper Shaun Barker.

Second-half strikes from Michael Flynn, Kaspars Gorkss and substitute Scott Vernon allowed the Seasiders to canter to their biggest win of the season.

Simon Grayson's men had lost their previous two Championship outings on home soil but they were vibrant from the outset against the Sky Blues.

Indeed, they should have led after just two minutes when midfielder Flynn collected possession 25 yards from goal and hit a low shot which struck a post.

Six minutes later, Blackpool went close again when Hoolahan produced a left-footed strike from 20 yards which drew a smart stop from Coventry goalkeeper Dimitrios Konstantopoulos.

Coventry threatened fleetingly in the 13th minute when Kyle went close.

A foul by Ian Evatt on Jay Tabb allowed David McNamee to deliver an inswinging free-kick from the left flank which Kyle greeted with a firm header six yards from goal.

However, his effort failed to hit the target and Blackpool breathed again.

Grayson's men always looked the more threatening and in the 19th minute a delightful move almost reaped rich dividends.

The Seasiders worked the ball out to Hoolahan on the left flank and his perfectly-flighted cross was met by the towering figure of striker Ben Burgess, whose header kept Konstantopoulos' hands warm on a bitterly cold afternoon.

Moments layer another Hoolahan cross was met by former Coventry striker Andy Morrell but he could not hit the target from 12 yards.

The breakthrough, however, came shortly before the half-hour mark when Hoolahan fired home from 12 yards after McNamee felled Gorkss in the visitors' 18-yard box.

Kyle's dismissal three minutes later left Coventry a man down with an hour left to play and set the tone for a niggling undercurrent which saw two Coventry players and one from Blackpool booked before half-time.

However, the Seasiders made the extra man pay and doubled their advantage in the 65th minute.

Barker played a long pass through the middle for Flynn to race on and fire coolly into the top corner from 12 yards with a fierce volley.

And with 18 minutes remaining the game was well and truly over as Blackpool claimed their third goal.

David Fox produced a clever cross from the left and Latvian defender Gorkss rose highest to head home his fourth goal of the season.

And substitute Vernon applied the coup de grace two minutes from time when he fired a right-footed shot into the bottom corner from 18 yards.

 

Catman

Blackpool V Sheff UTD
The Tangerines looked as if they were going to be in for a long afternoon, with Ian Evatt conceding a penalty and being sent off in the first half.

James Beattie missed the penalty and then put United ahead later in the half, but Claus Jorgensen grabbed a second-half equaliser from a free-kick.

It took just seven minutes for the game to burst into life at Bramall Lane. Evatt felled Billy Sharp inside the penalty area and the referee deemed the challenge a professional foul.

He was shown a straight red card and Beattie stepped up to take the penalty. Unfortunately for him, goalkeeper Paul Rachubka was equal to it, catching his spot-kick.

Down to 10 men so early in the game, the visitors really had their work cut out for them. They responded by taking off striker Andy Morrell and replacing him with defender Michael Jackson.

Jackson slotted into Evatt's place, leaving Ben Burgess as the lone striker, further nullifying their attacking prowess. Then to compound a difficult first half for Blackpool, United took the lead in the 22nd minute.

Sharp was again in the thick of the action, this time swinging a ball into the box. Beattie was on hand to make amends for his earlier penalty miss, heading home from close range.

His joy was short lived, as he went off injured just before the break. He was replaced by the equally potent Rob Hulse, his second consecutive appearance as a substitute since breaking his leg in March.

The Blades came out for the second half and created often enough but were let down by some wasteful finishing when they could have really finished off Blackpool. Keith Gillespie and Craig Armstrong both shot over the bar when well placed.

They paid for it in the 67th minute. Chris Lucketti was booked for a challenge on Gary Taylor-Fletcher, as Blackpool mulled over their set-piece strategy.

Claus Jorgensen knew what to do. He drilled the free-kick low past Paddy Kenny and into the middle of the goal to leave the Blades stunned.

Blades boss Bryan Robson rang the changes in the hope of adding a fresh attacking threat. Sharp and Gillespie both made way, with Lee Hendrie and Jonathan Stead their capable replacements.

Blackpool counterpart Simon Grayson countered, bringing off Wes Hoolahan and Taylor-Fletcher. They made for the more steadying influences of David Fox and Andy Welsh.

Hulse missed a glorious chance to be the United hero in the 82nd minute. He managed to get onto an inviting cross from Gary Naysmith, but headed wide just six yards out.

 

Catman

Blackpool V Colchester
Vernon's goals saw off Us but Claus Jorgensen and Andy Morrell could have added more as they dominated the first half.

Blackpool defender Michael Jackson, restored to the side in place of the suspended Ian Evatt, had the first clear chance of the game in the fourth minute.

An outswinging corner from Wes Hoolahan was met by Jackson, whose thumping header flew narrowly over the crossbar.

The visitors started brightly and only home goalkeeper Dean Gerken prevented them from going behind in the 20th minute.

Jorgensen scampered down the right wing and let fly with a fantastic effort from 20 yards and Gerken had to be at his best to tip the ball around the post.

Sustained pressure from Blackpool was unsettling the home side and they got their reward in the 26th minute.

Hoolahan was again the architect as he fed Vernon from the right wing.

The midfielder steadied himself and drilled the ball high into the goal past Gerken to give the Tangerines a 1-0 lead.

Two minutes later and Colchester were lucky not to be further behind as the visitors struck the woodwork through Morrell's powerful effort.

Morrell turned provider in the 36th minute, giving Colchester a real mountain to climb.

He fed Vernon again from the right, who finished well to double their advantage.

It took until the 52nd minute for Us to muster a decent effort and it fell to midfielder Johnnie Jackson.

He was well placed on the left side of the penalty area 12 yards from goal, but his shot fizzed past the post.

Colchester kept battling and threatened in the 65th minute through Mark Yeates.

An inswinging corner from Yeates looked to be heading in at the far post, until the previously untested visiting goalkeeper Paul Rachubka backtracked and punched it to safety.

United made an attacking switch a minute later in the hope of troubling the Blackpool defence with Kevin Lisbie replacing the tiring Teddy Sheringham.

For the second game in a row, Hoolahan was replaced by David Fox to steady the midfield, before Morrell missed a glorious chance to finish Colchester off.

He then fell foul of the referee, booked for a challenge on Pat Baldwin.

Team-mate Shaun Barker followed him into the book for time wasting in the closing stages.

Colchester toiled in the closing stages but they never looked like breaking down a solid Blackpool rearguard.

They remain in a precarious position at the foot of the table and have a real fight on their hands if they are to retain their Championship status.

 

Catman

Blackpool V Burnley
Kaspars Gorkss, Ben Burgess and Claus Jorgensen scored at Bloomfield Road to earn the Seasiders all three points, taking them up to 14th in the Championship.

Latvian defender Gorkss' firm header after 23 minutes - his second goal in two home games - earned the Seasiders a half-time lead before Burgess and Jorgensen scored in quick succession.

Burgess converted Jorgensen's cross with a well-placed header after 59 minutes before the midfielder netted a sublime half-volley from outside the box four minutes later.

The result ended Burnley's formidable record away from Turf Moor since Owen Coyle was installed as boss in late November.

They had won three and drawn one of the previous four games on the road but looked devoid of options in attack and struggled in defence ahead of the FA Cup third-round tie with Arsenal.

Ben Burgess and Chris McCann traded early chances before Gary Taylor-Fletcher and Scott Vernon each failed to trouble Gabor Kiraly with tame shots on the turn.

Shaun Barker then rose to meet the game's first corner after 16 minutes but could not find the target with a free header. It was a warning to Burnley of things to come.

The visitors' top scorer Andy Gray, returning from injury, was at the centre of all their good work, making a continual nuisance of himself.

The striker won a free-kick on the right and Robbie Blake floated in a cross which was met by Stephen Caldwell, but the defender, who made six league appearances while on loan at Bloomfield Road from Newcastle in 2001, could only head over.

Gorkss then met Wes Hoolahan's corner from the left after 23 minutes with a firm header which eluded Kiraly and bounced in off the right-hand upright to give the Seasiders the lead.

Coyle suffered a further blow when David Unsworth limped off after 32 minutes.

And it almost got worse for the Clarets when Jorgensen's shot from 25 yards took a wicked deflection to wrong-foot Kiraly, but he recovered to make a smart save to his left.

Paul Rachubka saved well from Blake's 20-yard free-kick as Burnley struggled to test the Seasiders' stopper.

A tepid opening 14 minutes to the second half was brought to a close when Hoolahan found Jorgensen on the overlap on the left and Burgess leapt high at the back post to head back across goal and into the net.

And within five minutes Burnley's deficiencies in defence were once again exposed when the ball was half cleared and fell to Jorgensen, whose sweetly struck half-volley sailed past Kiraly.

Hoolahan later broke forward and saw his left-foot shot across goal go a yard wide before three Blackpool substitutes had opportunities.

David Fox's swerving left-foot volley was saved, Andy Morrell had a strike ruled out for offside and Bartosz Slusarski headed over as Blackpool searched for a fourth.

 

connor

when are we do the meeting guss:yikes:

 

Catman

FA Cup 3rd round Blackpool V Barnsley
Blackpool had looked like they would hold onto a 33rd-minute lead given to them by David Fox.

The former Manchester United midfielder scored his second goal of the season after Gary Taylor-Fletcher had headed the ball into his path following a cross from the left-hand side.

Fox was left with the simple task of steering the ball into the net at the back post from six yards out.

Foster's first goal for Barnsley brought the hosts level in the 78th minute.

Blackpool failed to clear a corner and the ball dangerously ricocheted around the six-yard line, where Foster backheeled it past Paul Rachubka.

Three minutes later Barnsley completed the turnaround. Top scorer Brian Howard broke brilliantly from midfield before slipping the ball beyond Blackpool's defence for Coulson, who hit a low first-time shot underneath the advancing Rachubka from just inside the area.

It put Barnsley into the fourth round of the competition for the first time since 1999.

Barnsley edged the territorial battle in the first half without really threatening but felt they should have been awarded a penalty after six minutes when Jamal Campbell-Ryce went down under a challenge from John Hills.

However, referee Michael Jones waved away the appeals.

Taylor-Fletcher flashed a right-foot effort across the face of the goal in the 12th minute after he had neatly brought the ball down and worked a shooting opportunity on the right-hand side of the box.

Soon after Blackpool went close again when Ben Burgess met Hills' left-wing cross but his diving header narrowly cleared the crossbar.

Barnsley's best chance came midway through the first half. A long punt forward was not dealt with by Blackpool's defence and the ball broke to Miguel Mostto 30 yards out.

He took one touch to steady himself before unleashing a left-foot shot that had Paul Rachubka scrambling across his goal as the ball whistled just wide.

Both sides made changes at the break. Blackpool boss Simon Grayson took off Taylor-Fletcher and replaced him with Claus Jorgensen.

Barnsley's substitution was less predictable as Kyle Letheren replaced Heinz Muller in goal.

And it was not long before Letheren was called into action, parrying a low shot by Fox in the 50th minute.

Barnsley started the second half brightly and went in search of an equaliser with some gusto.

Bobby Hassell collected the ball midway inside Blackpool's half and surged towards the edge of the area but his low shot was held by Rachubka.

Soon after Hassell was involved again. His cross from the left-hand side was met on the run by Mostto but his glancing header at the near post went agonisingly wide.

Jorgensen was presented with a glorious chance to double Blackpool's lead midway through the second half but the substitute poked the ball wide from inside the six yard box.

It was an opportunity Jorgensen would rue when Barnsley's quickfire goals put them, and not the Seasiders, into the fourth round.

 

Catman

Blackpool V Charlton
Zheng Zhi struck twice to reignite Charlton's Championship promotion bid as Blackpool were swept aside 4-1 at The Valley. The China international midfielder took his tally for the season to an impressive nine goals as Alan Pardew's side cruised to a first league win in six attempts.

In a breathless opening, Madjid Bougherra headed the hosts into an early lead, Luke Varney doubled their advantage and Ben Burgess pulled one back for Blackpool in the first 12 minutes.

Zheng grabbed a third midway though the first half, and a fourth seven minutes into the second, as the Addicks bounced back from a rotten Christmas period which yielded just three points from five games.

Charlton were first on the attack in only the second minute when Varney sent Lloyd Sam scampering down the right, only for Izale McLeod to fluff two attempts at converting the winger's cross.

But they went ahead in the sixth minute when McLeod's mazy run into the penalty area resulted in a corner.

Darren Ambrose flighted over an inswinging cross which deceived Paul Rachubka and found the head of defender Bougherra underneath the crossbar.

Rachubka, a former Charlton reserve goalkeeper, claimed he was impeded but referee Jarnail Singh saw nothing wrong.

Varney doubled the Addicks' lead in the 10th minute when he collected the ball on the left-hand corner of Blackpool's penalty area, turned Kaspars Gorkss and drilled a low shot inside Rachubka's right-hand post.

Two minutes later the visitors pulled a goal back when Kelly Youga's headed clearance found Burgess, who superbly volleyed the ball back past a helpless Nicky Weaver from 25 yards.

But Zheng coolly fired Charlton back into a two-goal lead in the 24th minute after Varney's cross had been helped into his path by Ambrose.

The in-form midfielder, who last week became the first Chinese player ever to score in the FA Cup when he netted against West Brom, held his nerve to sidefoot the ball past Rachubka from 12 yards.

Charlton skipper Matt Holland nearly grabbed a fourth before half-time with a marauding run from midfield, only for Rachubka to pull off a fine save, diving to his right.

Gary Taylor-Fletcher tried a delicate chip which floated narrowly over as Blackpool looked for an early goal after the break.

But instead, they conceded a fourth after Rachubka had acrobatically kept out Ambrose's 25-yard free-kick.

From Ambrose's resulting corner, Bougherra crashed a header against the post and Zheng was first to react in a crowded goalmouth to prod the ball home.

Blackpool boss Simon Grayson sent on Stephen McPhee, who joined this week from Hull, and the forward showed some neat touches.

Wes Hoolahan volleyed wide as the visitors searched for a way back, while at the other end substitute Jerome Thomas missed a gilt-edged chance for number five when he blazed over an open goal.

 

Catman

Blackpool V Ipswich
Blackpool were denied their third straight home win as 10-man Ipswich came from behind to snatch a 1-1 draw at Bloomfield Road. Town remain the only team outside the top flight yet to claim an away win this season, but the 1,500 fans that made the journey from East Anglia were relieved to come away with a point following Castro Sito's 63rd-minute dismissal.

Claus Jorgensen had given the hosts a deserved lead in the 39th minute and the Seasiders dominated for long periods.

But just two minutes after going down to 10 men, Jon Walters headed home his 10th goal of the season to end a six-game losing streak on the road.

Stephen McPhee was handed his full debut for Pool in place of Scott Vernon and the former Hull striker was eager to impress from the outset. He looked lively but fired well wide inside the first minute.

A misplaced header from Pool defender Stephen Crainey then looked to

have played in Ipswich striker Gary Roberts, who came in for Burnley target Alan Lee, but a firm challenge from Kaspars Gorkss denied Roberts a clear shot at goal.

Paul Rachubka was called upon to make a comfortable save from Walters, but that was the visitors' only shot on target in the first half.

Blackpool regained the upper hand with Ben Burgess heading narrowly wide from Gary Taylor-Fletcher's right-wing cross in the 26th minute.

The two combined again moments later, although Burgess this time directed his header straight at Town keeper Neil Alexander.

Michael Flynn then blazed over from Burgess' lay-off, but Pool claimed the opener just a minute later as McPhee latched onto Burgess' knock-on down the left and took the ball around the keeper for Jorgensen to tap the ball home from eight yards.

Flynn then fired wide following good work by Wes Hoolahan and the home side remained on top after the restart, with Shaun Barker heading wide from Hoolahan's corner before Taylor-Fletcher burst through the Ipswich defence only to shoot straight at Alexander.

Danny Haynes drilled a 20-yard effort just past the far post following a rare foray forward by Ipswich, and their hopes looked dashed when Sito was red-carded for a dangerous challenge on Hoolahan.

Sito won the ball but with the current clamp-down on two-footed tackles, the referee had little choice but to give the Spanish full-back his marching orders.

Almost immediately, McPhee missed a gilt-edged opportunity to double Blackpool's lead, heading wide from inside the six-yard box from Burgess' cross.

And that would prove to be a costly miss as a minute later, Walters rose unchallenged from Roberts' corner to head in off the underside of the crossbar.

Blackpool then pushed forward in search of the winner, with Alexander pulling off a fine save to deny Gorkss following Hoolahan's short-corner to Crainey, while Flynn volleyed over from the resulting corner.

But Ipswich kept the hosts at bay, with a long-range effort from Hoolahan the closest they went to claiming the winner.

 

Catman

Blackpool v Bristol C
Bristol City climbed up to second in the Championship table after a they claimed a narrow 1-0 victory over Blackpool at Ashton Gate. Marvin Elliott's first-half volley clinched the Robins' first victory since New Year's Day and sent them level on points with leaders West Brom, but Blackpool created a host of chances after the break and should have left with a point.

City midfielder Elliott finished in clinical fashion following Lee Johnson's cross in the 20th minute and, with the top two involved in FA Cup action, the Robins took advantage to leapfrog Watford into second place.

An eighth away defeat for the Seasiders left them in the bottom half of the table, but manager Simon Grayson will have taken heart from his side's spirited display in the second half.

City were grateful to Brazilian goalkeeper Adriano Basso for denying Blackpool an early lead before Gary Johnson's side seized control.

Kaspars Gorkss fired over the crossbar for the visitors in the second minute and Ben Burgess forced Basso into a fine save with a left-footed shot from 20 yards before City had threatened.

Darren Byfield stung Blackpool goalkeeper Paul Rachubka's hands with a shot from inside the penalty area but City began to find their rhythm and the home side made the breakthrough thanks to Elliott's well-taken volley.

Johnson pulled the ball back across the area from the left and City midfielder Elliott slammed the ball into the bottom corner from 20 yards.

Byfield then dragged a shot wide when well-placed and saw another effort blocked by Blackpool defender Gorkss as City gained the upper hand.

Rachubka rescued Blackpool again late in the first period when home defender Jamie McCombe fired in an angled shot from inside the area, while Michael Flynn fired wide for Blackpool in the closing stages.

The visitors enjoyed their best spell at the start of the second half after midfielder Wes Hoolahan had replaced Stephen McPhee.

Burgess pulled a shot wide, Ian Evatt saw his effort blocked by Elliott and Johnson threw himself at Flynn's goalbound shot.

Blackpool went close in the 58th minute when Stephen Crainey's free-kick on the edge of the penalty area hit the crossbar.

Lee Trundle failed to keep his shot down at the other end for City, but Blackpool continued to press and only committed defending kept out Hoolahan's angled drive, while Evatt headed just wide from David Fox's free-kick.

Andrew Morrell and Andrew Welsh forced City into more desperate defending with successive shots from the edge of the penalty area and Evatt shot tamely at Basso as the visitors peppered the home goal.

Fox fired off target from 20 yards before Byfield unleashed a 30-yard shot in the closing stages after City had appeared to have weathered the storm and Blackpool were left to rue a long list of missed chances.

 

Catman

Blackpool v Leicester
A 90th-minute winner from debutant Paul Dickov gave Blackpool a dramatic 2-1 win over his former club Leicester City at Bloomfield Road. The Manchester City striker joined the Seasiders this week on loan until the end of the season and came off the bench to give Blackpool their first win in five games.

The hosts made a dream start on a bitterly cold afternoon at Bloomfield Road with Gary Taylor-Fletcher hitting a third-minute opener.

After a dismal first-half performance, Leicester drew level through Steve Howard's 62nd-minute strike, but veteran striker Dickov

intervened to snatch all three points and boost the Seasiders' survival hopes.

Leicester had kept a clean sheet in their last three games but were caught napping by a Stephen Crainey free-kick from 10 yards inside his own half.

The Blackpool left-back hit a diagonal ball over the Leicester defence, where Taylor-Fletcher crept in behind Joe Mattock and Patrick Kisnorbo and took a touch before steering the ball inside the far post from 10 yards.

Leicester replied in the sixth minute with Barry Hayles tormenting Kaspars Gorkss on the right before crossing into the box and captain Stephen Clemence headed over from six yards.

With just two stands completed and a temporary stand along one side, the two teams were exposed to the elements and struggled to maintain possession as there was no let- up in the blustery conditions on the Lancashire coast.

Blackpool's Stephen McPhee headed wide from Shaun Barker's right-wing cross just after the half-hour mark.

Ben Burgess then fired wide from the edge of the box after being released in the left channel while Barker headed over from Wes Hoolahan's left-wing corner.

Leicester made a double substitution at the break, with Mattock and Zsolt Laczko making way for James Chambers and DJ Campbell.

And the Foxes made an immediate improvement with Steve Howard glancing a header wide from Clemence's right-wing corner, before Matt Oakley blazed over shortly after his surging run forced a corner on the left.

Blackpool then went close with Burgess heading over from Hoolahan's left-wing cross while Taylor-Fletcher volleyed over from a wide angle on the hour mark.

But the visitors equalised moments later as defender Ian Evatt could only turn Iain Hume's pull-back into the path of Howard, who slotted home his second Leicester goal from 10 yards.

Blackpool replaced McPhee with Dickov in the 71st minute and almost immediately the tenacious striker rushed Ben Alnwick into a scuffed clearance, but with the Leicester goalkeeper stranded, Burgess lofted the ball over from 35 yards.

Then Barker headed down a searching free-kick from goalkeeper Paul Rachubka and Dickov pounced to smash the ball home from eight yards.