Stephen Dobbie’s 23rd minute goal sees the Blues trailing 1-0 at half-time at Blackpool.

Boss Mick McCarthy was forced into three changes with Tommy Smith unavailable due to international commitments, Aaron Cresswell suspended and Paul Anderson out with a groin injury.

Tyrone Mings started at left-back, Luke Chambers moved into the centre alongside Christophe Berra for the first time, with midfielder Cole Skuse switching to the right-back role he previously occupied while at Bristol City.

Ryan Tunnicliffe moved into the centre of midfield with Jay Tabb coming in on the left, while skipper Carlos Edwards returned on the right.

New signing Stephen Hunt was amongst the subs, along with Anthony Wordsworth for the first time in a few weeks.

Blackpool included ex-Town loanees Bradley Orr, at left-back, and Ricardo Fuller from the start, while Michael Chopra was on the bench.

Fuller turned an early Stephen Dobbie cross into Dean Gerken’s arms, then Daryl Murphy chased a Skuse ball down the right but could only find Seasiders’ keeper Matt Gilks’s arms with his ball into the box.

Almost immediately, Gerken was out quickly to clear ahead of Fuller in a lively first five minutes.
The game became a cagier affair and neither keeper was troubled until the 14th minute when Gerken was required to come out of his area to nod a ball down the middle clear ahead of Tom Ince.
Town eventually cleared a Blackpool freekick into the box, Mings lashing clear moments before David McGoldrick escaped on the right but shot across the face of goal.
The Blues were close to going in front in the 20th minute when, after good work from Skuse, Edwards and Hyam, Murphy crossed low from the right. The ball ricocheted around home side’s area before falling to Tunnicliffe, who seemed certain to net his first senior goal from eight yards until a defender deflected his shot wide.

But it was Blackpool who would score the game’s first goal in the 23rd minute. Bobby Grant crossed from deep on the left and Dobbie broke into the area untracked behind the Blues backline and nodded across Gerken and into the net.

The Seasiders almost went two in front on the half hour when Grant got past Skuse on the Blackpool left — although was fortunate not to be penalised for pulling back the defender — and hit a well-struck shot which Gerken did superbly to divert over the bar. Soon after, Dan Gosling shot well wide from distance.

McGoldrick curled a 25-yard freekick well wide in the 43rd minute but Town weren’t looking particularly threatening, seeming lacking in ideas when penetrating deeper into Blackpool territory.

Murphy screwed a McGoldrick knockdown out for a throw shortly before the end of scheduled time, summing up the Blues’ lack of threat during the first period.

The whistle went with the home side deservedly in front. The Blues had had a fair amount of the ball but without significantly threatening.

Mick McCarthy is unlikely to be impressed with his defence allowing goalscorer Dobbie a free header in the manner that they did.

Town: Gerken, Skuse, Chambers, Berra, Mings, Edwards, Hyam, Tunnicliffe, Tabb, Murphy, McGoldrick. Unused: Loach, Hewitt, Veseli, Hunt, Wordsworth, Nouble, Taylor.

Blackpool: Gilks, Bishop, Broadfoot, MacKenzie, Orr, Gosling, Angel, Dobbie, Grant, Ince, Fuller. Unused: Warner, Blackett, Zeegelaar, Delfouneso, Chopra, Davies, Tyson. Referee: Iain Williamson (Berkshire). Att:

Photo: Action Images

ArnieM added 16:08 - Nov 9 We're not clinical enough to put our own chances away
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blueboy1981 added 16:09 - Nov 9 ....... we are a shambles to be honest - against a scratch Blackpool side.
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irishtim added 16:11 - Nov 9 Hopr the half time changes have the desired effect.
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irishtim added 16:29 - Nov 9 Get in.Good man Frank. You might get a few decent comments this evening.
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irishtim added 16:29 - Nov 9 Get in.Good man Frank. You might get a few decent comments this evening.
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runningout added 16:29 - Nov 9 There's only one Frank Nouble! he he
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irishtim added 16:48 - Nov 9 Great Taylor. Hopefully this get's the monkey off the back.
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blueboy1981 added 16:51 - Nov 9 ....... second half FLAIR being shown - HALLELUJAH - CIVIC RECEPTION TIME. Never been so happy for ooooooooHHH ........ so long.
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runningout added 16:58 - Nov 9 blooming heck.. good game good game.. :)
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Turkishblue added 17:01 - Nov 9 Hope all those posters who disrespected MM Nouble and Murphy come on here now and celebrate! Skuse had a solid game and we won! It's a slow process guys stay with it COYB
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irishtim added 17:02 - Nov 9 Thanks lads. Well done Murph. Good wknd. More of this MM please,
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battyblue added 17:06 - Nov 9 At last MM gives Taylor game time and look what happens scored one and lays on the winner now its time for Wordsworth and Hewitt to get game time
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irishtim added 17:09 - Nov 9 Sindre must be very happy after his long trip. Up the Town.
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blueboy1981 added 17:14 - Nov 9 ....... funny how people get excited very quickly Turkishblue - 'takes more than one swallow to make a summer' as the saying goes. A good win today - but nothing more than we should be capable of doing IF we are 'moving forward'. Introducing FLAIR which is within the squad - made the difference today - AND ABOUT TIME - some of us have been crying out for it long enough.

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ChrisMakin2012 added 17:14 - Nov 9 Keep Taylor in the team we look better with him. Good win ipswich town
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blueboy1981 added 17:16 - Nov 9 ..... battyblue - you're right - the players you mention are all FLAIR players, and can make such a difference.
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warktheline added 17:28 - Nov 9 Steady on Mick,4pts of play-offs........O ye of little faith,stick that in your pipe and smoke it.......fools.Keep grinding MM.
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Turkishblue added 19:41 - Nov 9 Blueboy1981 your confusing excitement with real supporters not moaners! as I said its a slow process so agree about swallows and amazons but a step in the right direction you will know doubt agree :)
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