Blackpool Coast to Posh Win

The Seasiders moved up to 5th in the Championship with a routine 2-0 home win against Peterborough United.

Two early goals from Jason Euell and Hameur Bouazza provided the platform for the victory and from then on Ian Holloway’s side looked to see out the game successfully, unlike at Stoke in midweek.

Blackpool (4-5-1):
Rachubka
Eardley – Baptiste – Edwards – Crainey
Bouazza – Southern – Vaughan – Adam – Ormerod
Euell

Peterborough (4-4-2):
Lewis
Martin – Morgan – Zakuani – Williams
Coutts – Diagouraga – Frecklington – Boyd
Mclean – Mackail-Smith

Blackpool were ahead within three minutes. A excellently worked move between Vaughan, Adam and Crainey saw the left back’s cross find Jason Euell in the centre and the frontman powered a header home past Joe Lewis in the away net. Everything about the goal was poor from Peterborough’s point of view. Firstly there wasn’t enough pressure on the midfielders whilst they were manoeuvring a chance; secondly Jason Euell was very loosely marked and finally Lewis might have wished he’d done better with the eventual header.

Nevertheless, it was a cracking start for the home side.

And it soon became two. Hameur Bouazza – unusually playing on the right hand side – left Tom Williams for dead inside the box before firing home from an unbelievable angle to send the majority of the 7,728 ecstatic. It truly was a marvellous strike from the winger, especially as he feigned to square the ball before blasting home. Again, the goalkeeper might come into question but take nothing away from a special goal.

It may have been so different thought for the Seasiders. Moments before Bouazza’s strike on 11 minutes, the away side could’ve squared the game. The ball found its way to Craig Mackail-Smith at the back post but the multi-million pound rated striker couldn’t find a way past Paul Rachubka.

Just a quarter of the way into the game a nasty looking injury to full-back Neal Eardley. The summer signing from Oldham limped off to be replaced by Ashley Eastham in a like-for-like swap. The injury isn’t as bad as first feared and is just a dead leg, but it could still keep Eardley out of the away game at Bristol City on Tuesday night.

‘Pool had two great chances before half time to put the game to bed, both falling to Brett Ormerod. The first one saw his effort hit the side-netting but the second was the real strikers chance; put clean through he joined the play from wide and hit a shot across the ‘keeper only for it to fly wide. In years gone by, Brett may have gobbled that chance up. For now he does a good job on the wing but I would be tempted to play him largely away from home where more discipline in the role is needed and perhaps give Billy Clarke a run of games at Bloomfield Road.

After the break it was a non-contest. Peterborough had plenty of possession but failed to penetrate the backline of Blackpool sufficiently enough.
Charlie Adam had a fantastic chance to wrap up the points early in the second period but saw his casual effort from a Brett Ormerod pull back miss the left hand post by a whisker.

Aaron Mclean had a half chance later on in the half but his effort ballooned over and Mackail-Smith saw an opportunity slip through his grasp thanks to poor control.

But other than those glimmers, Posh looked well short of being able to compete with the ‘Pool.

I don’t think we’ve seen many ‘routine’ home, or indeed away, victories whilst we’ve been a Championship outfit so today may have been the first time in a long time where the team has coasted to three points without having to work that hard for them.

Long may that continue!