Match Reports

Blackpool 2-2 Hull City

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The Seasiders surrendered a two-goal lead at the KC Stadium to gift Hull City a point, having Kaspars Gorkss sent off in the process.

Simon Grayson was without striker Stephen McPhee for the game against his old club due to a pre arranged agreement between the clubs that he wouldn’t play any part in the game. This meant that Paul Dickov started his first game in tangerine, partnering Ben Burgess up front. Stuart Green was in the matchday squad for the first time since his switch from Crystal Palace.

Blackpool (4-4-2):
Rachubka
Barker © – Evatt – Gorkss – Crainey
GTF – Flynn – Jorgensen – Hoolahan
Burgess – Dickov


Bench: Jackson, Morrell, Green, Fox, Welsh.

Hull City (4-4-2):
Myhill
Ricketts – Turner – Brown – Pedersen
Walton – France – Ashbee – Hughes
Campbell – Windass


Bench: Tyler, Folan, Barmby, Okocha, Marney

The away side took the lead after 39 minutes when a long ball from Crainey was flicked on by Taylor-Fletcher – over the onrushing Myhill who was way out of his goal – and Dickov marked his first start with a goal as he nodded home from two yards under pressure from a couple of City defenders.

At the break, ‘Pool were one goal to the good in an ill tempered affair.

Five minutes into the second period, Dickov scored his second of the match. As a delightful ball was chipped over the top by Wes Hoolahan, Dickov poked it beyond Michael Turner then flipped it over the defender (which bore a close resemblance to Dennis Bergkamp’s flick in the 1998 World Cup second round against Argentina) before lobbing Myhill with ease from 12 yards to seal what looked to be a big three points.

However, Hull had other ideas. Caleb Folan – the striker who on debut for City was left unconscious at Bloomfield Road earlier in the season – was introduced and immediately halved the lead as Campbell skinned Gorkss on the byline before providing Folan with a tap in on the hour mark.

As the game progressed, it seemed more and more likely that The Tigers would find an equaliser from somewhere, and that they did. Sam Ricketts careered up the right wing from his fullback berth and hit a cross which looped over Paul Rachubka and found Dean Windass who prodded home to level the scores. Questions must surely be asked of the American goalkeeper as another slip in between the sticks saw a goal – this mistake similar to a David Seaman error.

Blackpool again kept trying and lifted their heads, and maybe could have won it when Hoolahan forced a smart stop from the Hull goalkeeper and Burgess shot wide.

With ten minutes left, Kaspars Gorkss needlessly lunged in on Dean Marney and picked up his second booking and his second red card of the season – Coventry away being his first.

But as Andy Morrell came on for goal hero Dickov and Jackson for Hoolahan, Blackpool sort to keep it tight for the remaining time, and that was achieved as they came away from the game with a 2-2 draw – a point that I’m sure we would’ve taken before the game and one that still leaves us seven points ahead of relegation and seven behind the playoffs; perfect!

Phil Brown
‘I thought this was a massive potential banana skin, but to get a point after we were 2-0 down shows great character.
‘You have to give Blackpool credit for putting us on the back foot earlier on.

‘We played some good football in the first half, but it became a bit of a battle in the second.’

Grayson:
‘We’ve got a point and we would have settled for one at the start, but it was hugely disappointing to give away a two-goal lead.
‘We kept the ball well in the first half, but in the second our retention was not so good.

‘However, we have taken four points from games against Hull this season, and they are one of the contenders.’

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