Second half goals from Gary Taylor-Fletcher and Barry Ferguson saw Blackpool to a comfortable 2-0 victory over the Blues at Bloomfield Road. Town never looked like getting back into the game after Taylor-Fletcher’s 49th minute opener, Ferguson adding the second 11 minutes later.

As expected Town boss Paul Jewell handed new loan signing Danny Collins his debut at centre-half, to the left of Ibrahima Sonko, who had recovered from his hamstring injury. Ívar Ingimarsson wasn’t considered fit enough to make the trip after his thigh problem, while Mark Kennedy missed out with a calf niggle.

Lee Bowyer returned from his hamstring strain to play in a three-man central midfield alongside Keith Andrews and ahead of Jimmy Bullard with skipper Grant Leadbitter on the right and Daryl Murphy on the left. Former Blue Billy Clarke was in the Seasiders’ starting line-up on the right of their three-man attack.

In front of 1,610 Town fans, many of whom had taken up the club’s offer of free coach travel, Blackpool were first to threaten but Brett Ormerod’s cross from the left was too close to David Stockdale, who claimed comfortably. For Town, Bullard flicked a sixth minute Bowyer cross well wide.

Moments later, Carlos Edwards found Michael Chopra inside the area, the striker cutting inside a defender before hitting a shot which was blocked. The loose ball ran to Bullard, whose effort flew well over.

On 11 Barry Ferguson’s powerful shot was blocked by Sonko after good work down the Tangerines’ right by Clarke. Two minutes later, the Irishman struck a freekick from around 35 yards which struck Sonko and went out of play, referee Colin Webster awarding Town a fortuitous goalkick.

There was a major scare for the Blues on 16 when the sharp Ormerod was sent away on the left but Edwards forced him wide and the one-time Southampton man shot into the sidenetting.

Gary Taylor-Fletcher was certain his side ought to have been awarded a penalty in the 18th minute when he appeared to be tripped as he took the ball from Collins as the Town defender brought it out of the area. Stoke loanee Collins was lucky to avoid conceding a debut spotkick and ought to have cleared rather than trying to play the ball away from danger.

Blackpool had probably had the best of the first 25 minutes but the Blues had also had their moments and on 27 Sonko just couldn’t get enough on a Bullard corner from the left, colliding with the post as he did so.

At the other end, Kevin Phillips headed over but referee Webster, who was frustrating players of both sides with some of his decision-making, had already stopped play for a foul by Taylor-Fletcher on Collins.

Just after the half hour, Town again went close when Cresswell sent in a dangerous ball from the left, which was diverted out of play by a Blackpool boot just before it reached Murphy.

Phillips hit a low shot, the first on target from either side, which Stockdale gathered at the second attempt as the period moved into its final five minutes. For the Blues, Andrews scuffed wide, then Bowyer just failed to deflect an off-target Edwards strike towards goal.

On 43 Murphy made a strong run down the left and sent in an excellent cross which Chopra and then Andrews just failed to reach, the Irishman requiring treatment after colliding with Matt Hill as he threw himself towards the ball.

The scores were level at the end what had been a fairly evenly contested but largely scrappy half probably shaded by Blackpool. The home side had had the better of the opportunities and ought to have been awarded a penalty after the clash between Collins and Taylor-Fletcher.

Town had got in some good positions but all too often the final ball was lacking with crosses from promising positions from a number of players failing to lead to decent chances.

As rain lashed down, the home side had the first opportunity of the second period. Clarke sent in a freekick from the left, which fell to Taylor-Fletcher, who lashed over when he should have done better.

But on 49 the former Huddersfield man made amends for that miss. After winning a diagonal ball played towards him on the right, and with Cresswell having slipped over on the edge of the area, Taylor-Fletcher was then on hand to tap home Clarke’s mis-hit shot from the left from close in for his second goal of the season.

On 54 Cresswell sent in a dangerous cross from the Town left but no one was able to get on the end of it, then Ferguson got his name in the book after a foul on Chopra, although the card wasn’t coming out until the Scot gave referee Webster the benefit of his opinion of the decision.

Town hadn’t really got going after the goal and just as the clock moved towards the hour mark, the home side increased their lead. The Blues failed to clear on their left and eventually Ormerod cut the ball back to the edge of the area and Ferguson beat Stockdale as Leadbitter rushed in to challenge.

Ex-Town man Clarke curled a shot over from the edge two minutes later as the Blues prepared ex-Blackpool loanee Jay Emmanuel-Thomas and Jason Scotland to take over from Lee Bowyer and Grant Leadbitter as the Blues moved to 4-4-2. On 69 Collins picked up a debut booking for a foul on Phillips.

The two subs had shown one or two signs of making an impact but the Blues had still unable to create anything of note in or around the area, Bullard scraping a shot wide from a promising 73rd minute break after good work from Scotland.

Town, who were still to hit a shot on target, went closer when Andrews played in Murphy on the left with 11 minutes remaining but the on-loan Celtic man scuffed wide. Four minutes later, the same player did almost the same from a more promising position closer in, again from an Andrews pass.

On 88 it might have been three when sub Ludovic Sylvestre hit a shot from 20 yards which Stockdale did well to parry away. For once, veteran poacher Kevin Phillips was unable to make anything of the rebound.

Murphy was handed a third opportunity in injury time, this time hitting the target but Blackpool keeper Matthew Gilks did well to get down to his right to save.

But in truth a Town goal would have been harsh on the Seasiders, who were worthy of the 2-0 margin of victory, particularly on the balance of the second half in which it was largely one-way traffic.

The Blues, with Danny Collins making his debut, looked like a side made up of players who had rarely played together with key man Jimmy Bullard still appearing well short of full match fitness.

Lone striker Michael Chopra was again an often peripheral figure on his own up front and overall Town created very little in the way of chances and in the end they were well beaten by a decent-looking Blackpool side.

Town: Stockdale, Cresswell, Edwards, Sonko, Collins, Bullard, Leadbitter (Scotland 65), Bowyer (Emmanuel-Thomas 65), Andrews, Murphy, Chopra. Unused: Lee-Barrett, Delaney, Ainsley.

Blackpool: Gilks, Baptiste, Hill, Cathcart, Evatt, Southern, Ferguson (Sylvestre 77), Taylor-Fletcher (Bogdanovic 82), Clarke (M Phillips 70), Ormerod, K Phillips. Unused: Halstead, Hurst. Referee: Colin Webster (Tyne and Wear). Att: 12,804 (Town: 1,610).

Photo: Action Images

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