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Blackpool started badly when after a poor hit out from defence by Pete Latimer led to a penalty corner for Urmston who then scrambled the ball into the goal from a tight angle. They then increased their lead following a lapse in concentration in the Blackpool defence.
With Blackpool two goals down after just 10 minutes, panic set in and players were heard to bicker and squabble much to the bemusement of the opposition. Paul Atherton was sacrificed to allow Joe Boniface to make his seasonal debut after a spell of illness. He proceeded to have a fine game making several important tackles and was later awarded the player’s man of the match award.
Blackpool started to regroup and Urmston struggled with the attacks coming down the left wing with Steve Whitley and right wing with James Slater. Dave Morgan managed to hit a ball towards the goal whilst in the D and Urmston’s goalkeeper somehow managed to misjudge his kick and stepped over the ball allowing it to dribble into the goal. Minutes later Rob Abbott equalised for Blackpool with a great strike from the top of the D beating the goalkeeper with the ball sliding in just by the post.
The rest of the half continued with Blackpool having more pressure and unlucky not to score at several short corners. Urmston’s luck changed when their star striker Stefan Wasileski returned from the sin bin, after having earlier sworn at an umpire’s decision, and earned himself a free hit just short of Blackpool’s D. He quickly decided to take the hit himself, one of the season’s new rules, and travelled along the top of the D, evading Pete Latimer’s attempt at a tackle, entered the D and his shot at goal flew past a diving Graeme Kilshaw into the top of the net. Blackpool felt aggrieved as they felt the free hit hadn’t been taken back 5m from the D in the first place, but the decision stood and moments later the half-time whistle blew and Blackpool were 3-2 down.
The second half was quite an open affair. Urmston counter attacked well and Graeme Kilshaw pulled off several great saves. Blackpool had several short corners but unlike last week the routines were badly executed and the chances squandered. However they were most unlucky when a shot was stopped on the goal-line by an Urmston defender. The two umpires conferred but it was claimed that the goalkeeper was behind the defender so instead of a penalty flick, and an almost certain equalising goal, instead another short corner was awarded.
Blackpool rotated their midfield with Jack Boniface helping out, Atish Mistry bringing some late energy when coming on for Sam Goudie who was hit by a ball in the head, but to no avail. The final whistle came too soon for Blackpool with another game in which they had battled for no points, which means they trail at the bottom of the very competitive Division 4.
However they look forward to welcoming Lytham 2nd’s in the local derby clash at Stanley Park in another must win game, so early in the season.
Opposition Man of Match – Graeme Kilshaw. Players Votes – 1st Joe Boniface, 2nd James Slater, 3rd Graeme Kilshaw.