FM11: Blackpool - A New Era
- Thread starter hedger_14
- Start date
hedger_14
ICC Chairman
19th September - Blackpool v Galatasaray - EURO Cup
We were all set for the first fixture of the EURO Cup between Blackpool and Galatasaray. The Turkish club would go into the match as slight favourites but Blackpool have the home advantage and could well pull off an upset. DJ Campbell and Tarik Brack miss out for the home side through injury while Servet Cetin was the only injury news for Galatasaray. Blackpool only made 2 changes to the squad that faced Coventry on the weekend, bringing in Neal Eardley and Jeffren for Lee Hodson and Giovani dos Santos who made their way onto the bench but it wasn't going to make things much easier for Galatasaray and they would have to watch our for the lethal combo up front in Wood and Goodwillie and must contain them along with the skipper, Charlie Adam if they want to be successful in winning this game. Galatasaray went in with the one striker up front in Milan Baros, the experienced Czech striker needing to do a good job for his club tonight while Arda Turan would need to be watched carefully and he can't be allowed any amount of space with the ball and should be closed down quickly. Anyway, here are the two lineups before we head down for the match.
Blackpool:
GK: William Caballero
DL: Mikael Dorsin
DC: Phil Jones
DC: Ian Evatt
DR: Neal Eardley
ML: James McFadden
MC: Charlie Adam (C)
MC: Edu Bedia
MR: Jeffren
ST: David Goodwillie
ST: Chris Wood
Subs: David Ospina, Lee Hodson, Craig Cathcart, Jonathan Woodgate, Ludovic Sylvestre, Giovani dos Santos, Elliot Grandin
Galatasaray:
GK: Simon Pouplin
DL: Hakan Balta
DC: Mehmet Ali Durmaz
DC: Anele
DR: Sabri Sarioglu
ML: Willian
MC: Lorik Cana
MC: Huseyin Bas
MR: Lucas Neill
AMC: Arda Turan
ST: Milan Baros
Subs: Ufuk Ceylan, Juan Pablo Pino, Marko Perovic, Mehmet Batdal, Cetin Saglam, Serdar Ozkan, Berkin Arslan
The match started off pretty evenly, although Galatasaray had a couple of half chances but couldn't beat Caballero, and Goodwillie showed his pace when he got past Mehmet Ali Durmaz in the 22nd minute who had to pull him back and was the first man to go into the book. He made up for that booking though 10 minutes later when he put the ball in the back of the net off a Hakan Balta corner and Galatasaray were up 1-0. There wasn't much else though in the first half and Blackpool went into the break a goal down but still right in it.
There wasn't much happening for the first 15 minutes of the second half although Wood and Goodwillie had 2 great chances to pull back level but were unable to hit the target, and a change was made, dos Santos on for Jeffren. That didn't change much though for the next 10 minutes and Hedger made another change, bringing Hodson on in place of Neal Eardley. Jones nearly gifted Galatasaray another goal with 10 minutes remaining when he passed it straight to the substitute, Mehmet Batdal but he couldn't make the finish and Blackpool were still only behind by one. Blackpool got desperate going into stoppage time and brought Grandin on for Edu Bedia and changed to a 4-3-1-3 formation with dos Santos joining Wood and Goodwillie up front while McFadden moved into a central attacking midfielder position. There was only 3 minutes of stoppage time and it looked like time was running out as they went into the final 20 seconds with the ball deep in their own half and Galatasaray with the ball but the ball crossed in was hit on the volley by Jones and up to dos Santos who controlled the ball, ran a bit with it before playing a 30 yard perfectly weighted lofted pass up to Wood down the right wing who kept the ball and kept it down that side of the field before putting in a hopeful cross and it looked like Sabri Sarioglu was going to get there first but Goodwillie was the more desperate of the two and slid right in there to get the first touch on the ball and Pouplin couldn't do anything but shake his head as the ball went into the back of the net with barely 5 seconds remaining and he sent the Blackpool fans into ecstacy as Blackpool gained a point from nowhere.
Mehmet Ali Durmaz took the MOTM award, scoring a goal as well as winning 4 tackles, winning 8 of 8 headers and making 5 interceptions while Balta did well playing as an attacking left back, setting up the goal, as well as completing 4 from 7 crosses and was also very solid in defence winning 4 tackles and making a total of 7 interceptions. For Blackpool, it was the 2 centre backs who did a great job, Evatt making 2 key passes, winning 5/5 tackles, 3 key headers winning 6/6 headers and making 3 interceptions while Phil Jones showed his skills again completing 28 passes over the course of the game, winning 9/10 headers and taking a total of 7 intercepts. Both sides were very solid in defence although Galatasaray were a much better attacking team completely dominating the shots column although both defences could be very pleased in not giving away any clear cut chances. Blackpool would now play Middlesbrough on the weekend.
hedger_14
ICC Chairman
22nd September - Blackpool v Middlesbrough - Premier Division
Blackpool would go into the match as slight favourites but a win would move them onto the top of the ladder for the first time since rejoining the premier league, while Middlesbrough have only won one game so far this season and sit in 17th position so it would be a game they would really like to win but Blackpool have been unbeaten in their last 14 premier league matches at Bloomfield Road, losing last on the 17th November last year against Man Utd, their only loss at home last season in the league so they would be very confident going into this match, even without Tarik Brack again. The only injury news for Middlesbrough was Scott McDonald out with a torn hamstring and Jonathan Grounds doubtful to play with a groin strain. The two teams have only met twice since 2010, Blackpool coming out victors on both occassions and it's hard to believe that Blackpool and Middlesbrough have similar odds. Blackpool decided to rest both Charlie Adam and Chris Wood for this encounter, both too tired to back up from Blackpool's mid-week clash with Galatasaray. Edu Bedia was also dropped to the bench with Sylvestre and Noble making up the central midfield, while Israel got a spot on the bench and would be looking to make his first appearance for the season, and Jones would make his first appearance as the club captain. Middlesbrough would find it tough to score many goals this game and it would be up to Wheater in defence to keep Blackpool scoreless, with only Georgiev in the starting XI to have scored a goal this season, with Eagles the only other player in the squad to do so, who was playing on the bench.
Blackpool:
GK: William Caballero
DL: Mikael Dorsin
DC: Phil Jones (C)
DC: Ian Evatt
DR: Lee Hodson
ML: James McFadden
MC: Ludovic Sylvestre
MC: Mark Noble
MR: Jeffren
ST: David Goodwillie
ST: Giovani dos Santos
Subs: David Ospina, Neal Eardley, Craig Cathcart, Israel, Edu Bedia, Elliot Grandin, Chris Wood
Middlesbrough:
GK: Jason Steele
DCL: Stephen McManus
DC: David Wheater
DCR: David Edgar
WBL: Mikel Balenziaga
WBR: Sepp De Roova
MCL: Blagoy Georgiev
MC: Kevin Thomson
MCR: Gary O'Neil (C)
ST: Jamie Mackie
ST: Kris Boyd
Subs: Lee Grant, Justin Hoyte, Darren O'Dea, Chris Eagles, Daryl Murphy, David Atkinson, Bruno Pilatos
It was Blackpool who took the game to Middlesbrough in the opening minutes of the game with a few good chances but couldn't find the goal, but they didn't have to wait long when dos Santos showed his sheer pace to catch Middlesbrough out on the counter and find his way into the goal box before making the decisive finish to put Blackpool up only 10 minutes in. Goodwillie nearly added to that just after 20 minutes in, when dos Santos cut the ball back to him but he would have been disappointed to hit the woodwork. Middlesbrough were hanging on by a thread though as Goodwillie and Jeffren had shots on target in quick succession but Steel was up for the challenge. There was a huge roar from the crowd though when Goodwillie scored one of the goals of the season on the half hour mark, as Middlesbrough were caught out on the break, and Goodwillie ran 50 metres before cutting back through McManus and another defender before applying a magical finishing touch from the edge of the box, flying into the top corner and Goodwillie was in jubilation as Blackpool went 2-0 up. Middlesbrough just couldn't contain Blackpool though as they dominated the game and could have gone into the break more than 2-0 up but couldn't add any more to their tally.
Nothing was changed during the half-time for Blackpool and why would there be when you have dominated that much during the first 45 minutes, while Chris Eagles was brought on for Stephen McManus for Middlesbrough. It was a quiet start to the second half but Goodwillie set up Sylvestre for a perfect opportunity to extend Blackpool's lead but his shot went way over the top. Israel was brought on for McFadden at around the 65 minute mark. Neither team could really make much happen though and it looked like Blackpool would take home the points and substituted Mark Noble for Edu Bedia with just under 15 minutes remaining. Goodwillie nearly put the match beyond all doubt on the 80th minute when Jeffren's cross found his head but Steele made a fantastic save, while Goodwillie was given a standing ovation when he was brought off for Chris Wood with 8 minutes remaining. Nothing changed though from then until full-time and Blackpool had won 2-0, to go top of the table for the time being.
It was Phil Jones in his first match as captain who picked up the MOTM award with a stunning performance at the back. He made 5 tackles at the back, set up a goal, made 3 key headers and picked up 10 interceptions to cap off a great performance. David Goodwillie had a great game up front as well as he made 1 key pass, won two tackles and made 3 runs to go with the magnificent goal he scored in the first half. Mikael Dorsin was also very hard working at the back, completing 55 passes over the course of the game, winning 4/4 tackles, 3 of 4 headers and taking 2 intercepts, travelling 10.6km as he showed the skills he is capable of and would be hoping to keep Brack out of the starting XI. Other standout performers for Blackpool were Ian Evatt and Ludovic Sylvestre who both had great games. Kevin Thomson was one of the key players for Middlesbrough and did a good job in a losing cause as he made 3 key passes, winning 3/3 tackles and making 2 interceptions to end a good performance. Middlesbrough would need to up their performances though if they are to survive in the Premier League.
hedger_14
ICC Chairman
25th September - Blackpool v Cardiff - League Cup 3rd Round
Cardiff would go into the game as massive underdogs against a strong Blackpool side and would need to pull off a minor miracle if they are to progress to the next round. Cardiff had an easy first two rounds, defeating Brentford in the first round before Walsall took them all the way to penalties. Cardiff would be missing Lee Naylor and also former Blackpool player, Paul Rachubka would miss the match through injury, while Blackpool would again only be missing DJ Campbell and Tarik Brack. Blackpool continued their rotation policy as they made a handful of changes to the side that played Middlesbrough, the most notable David Carney coming in to play his first match of the season. Cardiff's new signing, Wayne Bridge could prove vital for Cardiff if they want to progress past this round and hopefully for them, his experience can be a massive boost for them.
Blackpool:
GK: David Ospina
DL: Mikael Dorsin
DC: Phil Jones
DC: Craig Cathcart
DR: Neal Eardley
ML: David Carney
MC: Charlie Adam
MC: Mark Noble
MR: Elliot Grandin
ST: David Goodwillie
ST: Chris Wood
Subs: Wilfredo Caballero, Lee Hodson, Jonathan Woodgate, Dekel Keinan, Edu Bedia, Israel, Giovani dos Santos,
Cardiff:
GK: Trevor Carson
DL: Wayne Bridge
DC: Mark Hudson
DC: David Mirfin
DR: Kevin McNaughton
MC: Darcy Blake
MC: Oriol Romeu
AML: Jay Bothroyd
AMC: Andy Dorman
AMR: Rachid Ofrany
ST: Michael Chopra
Subs: Brian Jensen, Chris Riggott, Paul Quinn, Stephen McPhail, Rasmus Falk, Phil Jones, Chris Owen
Cathcart nearly opened the scoring for Blackpool off a corner but was blocked off the line and away for Cardiff and Carney had a chance a few minutes later and a vicious strike went just over the crossbar. The pressure payed off for Blackpool though when Carney played an inch perfect ball into Elliot Grandin who just tapped it home from 6 yards and Blackpool were up 1-0 already. Goodwillie showed his skills yet again when he stole the ball from Hudson and ran from halfway before laying the finishing touch which beat the Cardiff keeper comprehensively and Cardiff were in for a thrashing, it seemed with Blackpool 2-0 up and not even 20 minutes passed. Blackpool really showed their dominance in the first half, creating numerous chances and Cardiff could count themselves lucky that they only went into the break 2 goals down but they really don't look like they would be able to pose a threat in the second half.
Grandin got a couple of chances to get himself a second goal in the first 15 minutes of the second half but there wasn't much for Blackpool other than that and a couple of changes were made, Dekel Keinan and Edu Bedia coming on for Phil Jones and Charlie Adam. They attacked a lot more from then on but still couldn't find a way into the back of the net and dos Santos was then brought on for Chris Wood as Blackpool's final change. Nothing changed though as Blackpool made a few more chances but failed to find the net while Cardiff got their best chance of the game in the 90th minute but Ospina saved well to keep a clean sheet and Blackpool would progress, coming out 2-0 winners.
Elliot Grandin took the MOTM award as he really troubled the Cardiff defence, scoring a goal, making 2 key passes and completing 2 crosses, and made 2 attacking runs and tested out the keeper on a total of 3 times, only missing the target twice. Craig Cathcart was very solid at the back as well, winning 5/5 tackles, 9/9 headers and making 5 interceptions to cap off a perfect match for the young fullback as he put up a fight for a permanent spot in Blackpool's XI and a spot they had problems with in the past few seasons was now fully sorted out this season and there was much competition for a spot there, which can be thanked mostly to the arrival of Phil Jones who has inspired his fellow partners in defence with consistent excellent performances and now Evatt, Cathcart and Woodgate have shown their skills in defence. None of the Cardiff players really stood out and it was no wonder they went down without a fight and only tested the Blackpool keeper on two occassions. Blackpool would now go to Fulham where Tarik Brack would be hopeful to make a return.
hedger_14
ICC Chairman
28th September - Fulham v Blackpool - Premier Division
Fulham came into this match with only one win so far this season but were favourites at home against Blackpool. They would only miss Etuhu through injury, while Blackpool would be without DJ Campbell and despite reports that Tarik Brack was in line for a return today, he was left out. The two teams have a pretty even record in the 7 matches played between the two clubs since 2010, 2 of them resulting in draws and Blackpool having 3 wins to Fulham's 2. This match at Craven Cottage would hope to be a thriller though and both sides would be doing everything in their power to take home all 3 points. Blackpool reverted back to their normal starting XI for the game and the full strength lineup would mean Fulham would have to play superbly in order to take the points. Lee Hodson would also be appearing in his 125th career league appearance. Fulham's Dembele meanwhile would be looking to end a 430 minute goal draught to give Fulham a win but with morale down, it would not be an easy task against a very solid Blackpool defence.
Fulham:
GK: Frank Fielding
DL: Carlos Salcido
DC: Rafik Halliche
DC: Brede Hangelend (C)
DR: John Pantsil
ML: Stewart Downing
MC: Chris Baird
MC: Kagiso Dikgacol
MR: Clint Dempsey
ST: Moussa Dembele
ST: Jakub Sylvestr
Subs: Jan Sebek, Diomansy Kamara, Zoltan Gera, Phillippe Senderos, Bobby Zamora, Matty Taylor, Aaron Hughes
Blackpool:
GK: William Caballero
DL: Mikael Dorsin
DC: Phil Jones
DC: Ian Evatt
DR: Lee Hodson
ML: James McFadden
MC: Charlie Adam (C)
MC: Ludovic Sylvestre
MR: Jeffren
ST: David Goodwillie
ST: Chris Wood
Subs: David Ospina, Neal Eardley, Craig Cathcart, Jonathan Woodgate, Israel, Edu Bedia, Giovani dos Santos
It was Fulham who got the first real chance of the match 15 minutes in, when Dembele got in behind The Seasiders defence but Caballero made 2 saves in quick succession to keep Fulham out. It was a pretty quiet first half with both teams cancelling each other out, but Chris Wood had a good chance to score but didn't manage to beat the keeper from the edge of the box. Wood soon after found his way into the book after a needless challenge after losing the ball. Dembele fancied his chances again just after the half hour mark when he attempted a long range strike which hit the crossbar unluckily. Both sides wouldn't have been too disappointed though to go into the half-time break still level but Fulham would be worrying knowing Blackpool's second half inspirations during the season.
It took 8 minutes for the first good scoring opportunity to present itself in the second half but Goodwillie would have been annoyed when he hit the post from close range. It was not good news for Blackpool though when McFadden was forced off with a potential arm injury in the 60th minute, giving Israel another opportunity to show his skills at the top level. In the 67th minute, Fulham nearly opened the scoring when Sylvestr got the ball headed back to him off a corner and had a crack himself only for Caballero to pull off a top class save. Jeffren was brought off for Giovani dos Santos with 20 minutes to go and the match still right in the balance. He nearly made an impact right away when he layed the ball back to Charlie Adam who went so close to scoring his first league goal of the season. But the change worked out perfectly in the end when Chris Wood put dos Santos right through on goal and showed the brilliant finishing touch that he had shown on a couple of times this season and put Blackpool 1-0 up with 15 remaining. They say it's always good to have a quality goalkeeper and it paid off for Blackpool a couple of minutes later when he made an unbelievable save from a free kick which came off a powerful header from point-blank range but he got down and tipped it away for Evatt to clear to safety. Hangeland found his way into the book when he brought down David Goodwillie who seemed like he was clear on goal and it was lucky he got away without a red. The free kick nearly found it's way into the goal though as Sylvestre's ball was inch perfect and Goodwillie's header went just over the top. Craig Cathcart came on as a late substitute for Ian Evatt and nearly found himself on the scoresheet with a corner chance which was saved well. Fulham weren't going to give up without a fight though and tested Caballero out on a couple of occassions late in the game but the Argentinian showed why he should be the number one goalie at Blackpool with another great save. Charlie Adam would have been kicking himself though when he gave Fulham a free kick from right outside the box but Bobby Zamora wasn't going to be the hero for Fulham today as his free kick was off target. Giovani dos Santos made sure that there would be no late equaliser though when he tapped in Goodwillie's pass across the goal in the 93rd minute to score his second of the night, off the bench as well and Blackpool had taken the match 2-0 as their sensational run continued and they didn't look like being beaten.
Fulham had 7 shots on target in total, to Blackpool's 4 and there was no doubt that Blackpool's keeper, Wilfredo Caballero deserved the MOTM award with a match rating of 9.2 and pulling off a few blinders to help win the match for Blackpool. dos Santos had a great game off the bench scoring 2 goals although didn't really get involved much, just in the right position at the right time. Phil Jones continued his great form at the back meanwhile, winning a massive 15 headers, 5 of them key for Blackpool as well as making 7 interceptions, closing down Fulham's attacks perfectly. Lee Hodson had a great game as well, completing 30 passes, winning 5 headers and taking 5 intercepts after resting for the clash against Cardiff earlier in the week. Stewart Downing meanwhile had a good game for Fulham completing 7 crosses, winning 5/5 headers and making 3 interceptions, being Fulham's best performer by a fair way. Meanwhile, more injury news on James McFadden would come probably tomorrow although he could be missing a few weeks as it could well be a fracture.
treva
ICC Chairman
He is three years down the line...
hedger_14
ICC Chairman
Yeah, normally I don't have a great away record though. If you look at the match stats most of the time, they will have the greater number of shots but I have two great strikers who makes the most of our chances and we've got lucky a fair few times in the second half
@ JBlues08, yeah, I will post it from time to time. Currently sitting in 1st though surprisingly. Haven't had any tough games though really apart from Tottenham who I lost to.
hedger_14
ICC Chairman
McFadden Injury Blow Hurts Blackpool
Blackpool and Scotland winger, James McFadden was forced off the field with a potential arm injury during Blackpool's 2-0 victory at Fulham and today, the bad news has been released. He could miss from 4-5 weeks after being ruled out with a fractured arm, the injury blow hurting Blackpool a big deal. The injury however will allow young Spanish winger, Israel to step up to the big stage and gain some more first team experience, having only appeared in 2 appearances off the bench this season, although Jeffren could move over to the left wing if needed.
hedger_14
ICC Chairman
3rd October - Ventspils v Blackpool - EURO Cup
Despite being the home team, Ventspils would come into the match as huge underdogs against a strong Blackpool side. They would have no real stand out players and they will find it very difficult to get anything from the match after going down to Spartak Moscow 6-1 in their first fixture. Blackpool would be without both James McFadden and DJ Campbell while Tarik Brack would finally make a return, however on the bench. Blackpool wouldn't need to do much to outplay this ordinary Ventspils side, even playing a much worse second XI.
Ventspils:
GK: Vladimirs Trofimovs
DL: Mihails Uljanovs
DC: Pavels Beinarovics
DC: Jans Stepanov
DR: Janis Danilovs
ML: Artis Smirnovs
MC: Andrejs Baumanis
MC: Olegs Kohans
MR: Vitalijs Visnakovs (C)
ST: Aleksandrs Afanasjevs
ST: Raivis Savinovs
Subs: Igor Timofejevs, Ainars Grigorjevs, Vadims Andrejevs, Sergejs Golovins, Olegs Vasiljevs, Jurgis Krjauklis, Daniels Smirnovs
Blackpool:
GK: David Ospina
DL: Mikael Dorsin
DC: Phil Jones (C)
DC: Jonathan Woodgate
DR: Neal Eardley
ML: David Carney
MC: Edu Bedia
MC: Mark Noble
MR: Jeffren
ST: David Goodwillie
ST: Giovani dos Santos
Subs: Wilfredo Caballero, Tarik Brack, Craig Cathcart, Ian Evatt, Israel, Elliot Grandin, Chris Wood
Chances were few for the first half hour of the game and Blackpool weren't showing the dominance that they were expected to be showing as they only made a couple of chances but in the 35th minute, dos Santos capitalised on a horrible mix up between keeper and defender, taking the ball away from them and putting it into the open goal to open the scoring. Jeffren added to that a few minutes before half-time before it was called back because Giovani dos Santos was offside. Ventspils wouldn't have been too disappointed going into the break only 1-0 down but would need to show a massive display in the second half to take anything from the match.
Blackpool had a fair few chances in the first 10 minutes of the second half to extend their narrow lead but failed to find the back of the net. A couple of changes for Blackpool were made with just over 20 minutes remaining Tarik Brack and Israel coming on for Mikael Dorsin and David Carney. Goodwillie finally scored with 10 minutes remaining when Israel's cross was blocked out to him and Goodwillie just fired it into the back of the net. That was it for the game though as Blackpool came out 2-0 winners and it definately could have been more, but they would take the win. Goodwillie took the MOTM award for his goal while making 2 runs. It was a great all-round effort though from Blackpool, while Ventspils didn't really have any stand out performers.
hedger_14
ICC Chairman
6th October - Man Utd v Blackpool - Premier Division
It was no doubt Blackpool's biggest match of the season, on the road to Old Trafford without James McFadden and DJ Campbell while Man Utd had a clean bill of health going into the match and even despite Blackpool's unbelievable run this season, Man Utd were firm favourites and Blackpool would need to pull off another miracle to take the points and extend their lead at the top of the ladder while even a loss would keep them top of the ladder for this round at least. It was going to be a major battle upfront with Rooney and Hernandez (starting on the bench) taking on Goodwillie and Wood. Blackpool have only won one game against Man Utd in their past 7 appearances, with Man Utd coming out winners on 5 occassions, and have not taken a point at Old Trafford in that time. Giovani dos Santos could prove to be a key figure for Blackpool in the match, having scored 3 league goals already this season in 6 appearances so far including 3 off the bench, while Goodwillie and Wood would be posing a threat up front. Israel was given his first start of the season meanwhile, and Tarik Brack would make his first start since coming back from injury.
Man Utd:
GK: Sergio Asenjo
DL: Patrice Evra
DC: Jonny Evans
DC: Nemanja Vidic (C)
DR: Fabio
DMC: Owen Hargreaves
MC: Nicolas Lodeiro
MC: Darren Fletcher
AML: Nani
AMR: Antonio Valencia
ST: Wayne Rooney
Subs: Tomasz Kuszczak, Dimitar Berbatov, Javier Hernandez, Gonzalo Castro, Ryan Shawcross, Federico Macheda, Luc Castaignos
Blackpool:
GK: William Caballero
DL: Tarik Brack
DC: Phil Jones
DC: Ian Evatt
DR: Lee Hodson
ML: Israel
MC: Charlie Adam (C)
MC: Ludovic Sylvestre
MR: Giovani dos Santos
ST: David Goodwillie
ST: Chris Wood
Subs: David Ospina, Neal Eardley, Craig Cathcart, Jonathan Woodgate, Edu Bedia, Elliot Grandin, Jeffren
The first 10 minutes were controlled by the Red Devils as they looked to open the scoring but couldn't find the target during that period. It was the skipper, Vidic though who opened the scoring after 18 minutes off a Lodeiro free kick which he headed down past Caballero to put Man Utd on the scoresheet early on. Blackpool got their first real chance of the day in the 35th minute when Charlie Adam got a shot in only to be blocked by the defender but they soon came back on the counter a minute later and Chris Wood's shot was deflected out for a corner. Blackpool went into the break 1-0 down but wouldn't be too disappointed knowing their second half form this season.
Blackpool nearly pulled back level minutes into the second half when there was a scramble on the 6 yard box but Fabio just managed to get it behind for a corner. There wasn't much for Blackpool apart from that as the next 15 minutes fizzled out into nothing and Elliot Grandin was brought on for Chris Wood while Giovani dos Santos moved up front. Nani got lucky in the 73rd minute though when a long range strike bounced down off the crossbar and just falling over the line and Man Utd were now 2-0 up and the result looked to be settled, while Eardley was brought on for Hodson. Blackpool just couldn't create anything though and Man Utd came out deserved 2-0 winners to move further up the ladder and bring Blackpool back down to earth going into a long break.
Nemanja Vidic took the MOTM award for his goal to go with 3/3 tackles, 9/9 headers and taking 9 interceptions, pretty much perfect in defence while Patrice Evra also had a great game at the back, completing 44 passes including 1 assist, winning 3 tackles and taking 10 intercepts. It was a great effort all round from them though while there wasn't much praise to be given in the Blackpool camp, Hodson, Brack and dos Santos all having very poor games although Charlie Adam would have been the pick of the players, completing 29 of 35 passes (1 key), winning 2/2 tackles, completing 2 crosses and making 2 runs to trouble the Man Utd defence on a few occassions. Blackpool would have to move on though, rebuild and come back to hold their spot at the top of the ladder.
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