Blackpool Third Team Break Duck
Blackpool’s third team made the short trip to Kirkham to play an unbeaten Preston sixth team and came away with their first points of the season after an exciting 6-4 victory. Blackpool were caught cold by Preston’s first attack of the game as a slick passing move ended up at the stick of a Preston forward who had escaped his marker and coolly slotted home. However Blackpool hit back almost immediately. A long ball forward towards a Preston striker was intercepted by Phil Weir who took the ball into midfield before finding Ollie Tolminson in space who took the ball into the D and beat the Preston keeper to equalise. 1-1 and only 3 minutes played!
Blackpool were now starting to find their passing game and were dominating midfield. Passing interchanges between the midfield of Will Turnbull, Ollie Tomlinson, David Wright, Harrison Cardwell and Corey Stott were leaving Preston players in their wake and creating regular chances. However despite this Preston showed why they were unbeaten, a counter attack leading to a ball into the D and a mishit shot that somehow found it’s way into the Blackpool goal. Not to be deterred, Blackpool continued attacking and found a second equaliser when a shot was saved by the Blackpool keeper and David Wright forced home the rebound. Blackpool then took the lead for the first time. There appeared to be little danger when David Wright had possession in the corner but surrounded by a number of Preston defenders. Somehow he managed to fire in a cross that went right across the goal for James Smith to finish at the far post. Soon after the scores were level again as Preston won a short corner, switched the ball across and finished with a powerful strike. A topsy-turvy half ended with the scores level at 3-3.
The second half started badly for Blackpool with Phil Weir being yellow carded for not retreating 5 yards after a free hit. However despite this, Blackpool continued to press and were rewarded as James Smith scored his second goal, getting a deflection onto a ball played from midfield into the Preston D. Regular substitutions between Blackpool’s 14 man squad were allowing them to keep the pace of the game high and they were soon rewarded as Keiffer Walker-Earnshaw scored for the 4th consecutive game, scrambling a ball into the Preston goal to make it 5-3. Matthew Atherton further increased Blackpool’s lead with a powerful shot into the corner leaving Preston’s keeper with no chance. There was still time for Preston to pull a goal back. A short corner strike was cleared off the line but Blackpool were unable to clear their lines and the ball eventually fell to a Preston player who fired home. Despite this Blackpool held on comfortably for the victory and their first win of the season.
Blackpool’s man of the match was Will Turnbull.