Blackpool’s 3rd team made the short trip to Preston to play table topping Springfields 2nd team and were defeated 5-1.
Blackpool made a promising start in the opening few minutes, passing the ball around well in midfield and quickly winning the ball back when it fell to a Springfields stick. However Springfields soon started to find their rhythm and started to push Blackpool back with some driving runs from midfield. Springfields opened the scoring after 15 minutes when one of their forwards found space in the D and played it across for his strike partner to powerfully strike home. Springfields continued on the front foot and doubled their lead shortly afterwards when a cross into the D was mis-controlled by a Blackpool defender and a Springfields striker pounced to strike past the Blackpool keeper. Blackpool defended resolutely for the rest of the half with young goalkeeper Toby Jeffery showing his increasing confidence with a number of smart saves, only to be undone on the stroke of half time when Springfields made it 3-0 as their striker beat his man and ran unopposed into the D before completing his hat-trick with a strike into the bottom corner.
A half time change of formation to 4-5-1 seemed to give Blackpool some control back in the midfield and they started the 2nd half on the front foot, pulling a deserved goal back 5 minutes into the half, Will Pickles striking home a reverse stick shot after an initial shot from Kieffer Walker-Earnshaw was saved. The game continued to move from end to end but it was Springfields who restored their advantage as one of their midfielders wasn’t tracked as he carried the ball into the Blackpool D and again left the Blackpool keeper with no chance. Springfields finished the scoring as a Blackpool defender was dispossessed in his own D by a Springfields striker who gladly put the ball into the goal.
Despite the scoreline this was a promising performance by Blackpool’s young team with Kieran Ablett and Will Turnbull tackling strongly at the back and midfielders Will Pickles, Ashlie Holmes, Harrison Cardwell and Corey Stott holding their own against an older and more experienced Springfields midfield.
Blackpool’s man of the match was goalkeeper Toby Jeffery.