Blackpool’s second team returned empty handed from an away trip to Warrington, kicking themselves at having lost a game 3-2 they really should have won.
On a balmy day with temperatures more akin to a pre-season friendly than one of the final game before the Christmas break, Warrington took an early lead with a clinical goal. Despite this, Blackpool worked themselves back into the game and were much the better side with Kieffer Earnshaw causing the Warrington defence all sorts of problems up front. The away side’s pressure told when Earnshaw found Harrison Stott alone at the back post who was duly able to dispatch the ball into an empty net to equalise.
Warrington were unable to deal with Blackpool’s quick counter-attacking hockey and the men in tangerine soon took the lead when Stott combined with Ollie Thomlinson at the end of a brilliant hockey move and Thomlinson pushed the ball through the on-rushing goalkeeper’s legs to make it 2-1.
Into the second half and the game, which had already been a feisty encounter between two evenly matched sides, threatened to boil over with numerous nasty challenges and late elbows/force being used. The umpire let his card’s do the talking and Warrington were rightly reduced to 9 men with two players in the sin-bin. This seemed to kick them into gear, however, and with Blackpool seemingly disregarding everything that was said at half time, the home side equalised from a well struck penalty corner. Blackpool completely lost their shape and rather than turning to the quick passing hockey that had treated them so well in the first half, attempted to run through players which resulted in the home side being gifted possession and taking the lead when a striker slid in to convert a cross from the left. 3-2.
Despite throwing men forward, Blackpool were unable to find an equaliser and were left to drown their sorrows at the Christmas social knowing that they will need to get back to winning ways in the New Year if they are to avoid the threat of relegation.