Goals from Jack Colback and Owen Garvan saw the Blues through to round four of the FA Cup against nine-man Blackpool. Colback put Town in front early on but Brett Ormerod equalised after the break before Ian Evatt and Rob Edwards were red-carded for professional fouls and Garvan netted the winner with the Blues missing a hatload of further chances.

Manager Roy Keane made two changes from the side which beat QPR 3-0 on Monday, David Wright and Jack Colback coming into the side and the suspended Jon Stead and Carlos Edwards dropping out. Jaime Peters switched to a forward role behind Stern John, a position the Canadian previously played during his loan spell at Yeovil but not previously with Town.

The Peters and John combination almost paid off in the opening minute when the Trinidadian was played in by his strike partner but from an offside position.

A minute later, the Blues were in front. A Walters flick allowed Peters to take the ball into area where he was stopped by sheer weight of numbers. Eventually, Norris nudged the ball out to Colback on the edge of the box and the loanee from Sunderland marked his FA Cup debut with a well-struck goal.

Blackpool’s first opportunity came in the eighth minute when defender Alex Baptiste headed over the bar from a corner. Jason Euell nodded weakly to Town keeper Arran Lee-Barrett moments later.

Liam Rosenior did well on the right in the 15th minute and sent in a low cross which Stern John diverted wide at the near post.

Gary Taylor-Fletcher shot wide from the edge of the area on 17 with the home side taking the game to Town, who were happy to sit back and soak up pressure.

On 23 the Tangerines were handed a golden opportunity to get back on terms when Taylor-Fletcher played in Ormerod on the right of the area. There seemed no need for Lee-Barrett to take any risks but the keeper dived at the striker’s feet and sent him to the ground. The linesman awarded the spotkick, which Charlie Adam lashed against the post, the ball cannoning to safety.

Blackpool almost netted a bizarre equaliser in the 34th minute when Euell blocked a Lee-Barrett kick from his hands. The ball looped over the keeper and spun back away from goal only a matter of feet from the line. Referee Eddie Ilderton indicated that the former Wimbledon man had done nothing wrong by turning his back and blocking and would have given the goal.

On 36 Stern John had the ball in the net from a Walters pass after a neat Town move but the Blues skipper had been flagged offside.

Blackpool had put the Blues under a fair bit of pressure during the half but aside from the penalty had rarely tested Arran Lee-Barrett. Town hadn’t threatened to add to their lead too often with the Blues’ main tactic Peters and Walters running on to flicks and passes played into Stern John’s feet.

A John lay-off teed-up Grant Leadbitter two minutes into the second period 30 yards out, the former Sunderland man spotting Blackpool keeper Paul Rachubka well out of his goal but missing the target.

On 50 the home side got back on terms. Town had been unable to keep the ball and eventually Charlie Adam crossed from the left and Ormerod nodded a header across Lee-Barrett and into the net.

Town boss Roy Keane immediately switched things around, bringing on Connor Wickham and Owen Garvan for Stern John and David Norris. Walters partnered Wickham up front with Peters switching to the right of midfield and Garvan making a straight swap with central midfielder Norris.

Three minutes later, Blackpool suffered their first sending off of the afternoon. Walters sent a ball through for Colback to chase and Ian Evatt felled him with a lunge just outside the area. Referee Eddie Ilderton, not a particularly card-happy official, had no choice but to show a straight red with Colback through on goal with only Rachubka to beat. Leadbitter’s freekick was saved.

Neal Eardley was yellow-carded for dissent for his complaints about a freekick given for his foul on Rosenior before Connor Wickham missed a chance to put Town back in front. Walters crossed from the right and the unmarked youngster headed straight at Rachubka when he should have scored.

Charlie Adam volleyed wide for the home side, but it was the Blues with their numerical advantage who were looking the more likely scorers. On 68 Walters crossed low from the right and Garvan shot over.

Two minutes later, good work from Peters on the right led to Rachubka saving from Walters at virtually point-blank range. Grant Leadbitter’s freekick flew narrowly over in the 71st minute.

On 75 Blackpool were reduced to nine men when sub Rob Edwards pulled back Jon Walters as the Town captain chased a ball over the top on the edge of the box. Again referee Ilderton appeared to have little alternative but to send the Blackpool defender off and he duly did so.

Owen Garvan was given the responsibility of the freekick, which he struck low, to Rachubka’s right and into the net. Blackpool boss Ian Holloway seemed incensed by the decision to reduce his side’s numbers further and threw his coat to the ground whilst remonstrating at length with the fourth official. Eventually, as the former Plymouth manager’s protests continued, referee Ilderton sent him to the stand.

Jaime Peters switched to right-back with Liam Rosenior moving ahead of him into midfield before Connor Wickham shot over.

The 16-year-old missed another good opportunity in the 80th minute but struck the ball straight at the keeper. Carlos Edwards replaced Rosenior for the final eight minutes. Arran Lee-Barrett picked up a caution for timewasting, then Wickham joined him in the book for grabbing the ball as Rachubka prepared to take a freekick.

Jack Colback should have made it three in the 87th minute when Walters played him in one-on-one with the keeper with an age in which to take the chance. However, the loanee from Sunderland’s low shot was stopped by Rachubka.

Town had another opportunity to seal their victory in injury time when Edwards was found on the right of the area by Leadbitter but the Trinidadian struck Rachubka with his shot.

Moments later the referee’s whistle went to seal Town’s progress through to the fourth round of the FA Cup.

The Blues made heavy weather of the game after Blackpool had been reduced to nine men, having had more than a few opportunities to increase their lead.

After scoring the early goal in the first half, Town seemed to sit back and lost their impetus with Blackpool having most of the game, albeit without creating too much of note, aside from the penalty.

The home side’s early second half goal led to the changes of personnel and the red cards all but handed the game to Town, who in the end should have won the game much more comfortably, given their numerical advantage and the number of chances created.

Town: Lee-Barrett, Rosenior (Edwards 82), D Wright, Delaney, McAuley, Leadbitter, Norris (Garvan 51), Walters, Colback, Peters, John (Wickham 51). Unused: McLoughlin, Balkestein, Bruce, Quinn. Att: 7,332.

Photo: Action Images

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