Tuesday October 24th, 2000
John Secker
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Blackpool started with the team which began the game against Macclesfield on Saturday, which meant there was still no place for Ian Hughes to return to the defence. The formation was once again 5-3-2, or perhaps 5-4-1, with Simpson not fully committed to a striking role. It was a foul night, wet and very windy, and the game had been threatened by a power cut not long before kickoff. It went ahead, however, and as both teams struggled to come to terms with the conditions, Blackpool were already clearly the better side.
Lee Collins had a good game in the centre for most of the night, but once again it was Hills who caught the eye. He was always available in space out on the left, and whenever he got the ball things began to happen. On his first attack from the left he put over a cross which was just too high, and flew over everyone. The next attempt, however, was more fruitful. It began up the right, in fact, and then Simpson, midway inside the Carlisle half, saw Hills running and hit a hard flat crossfield ball, no more than head high. It flew behind the defence, and Hills intercepted it on the edge of the area as he ran in at full pace. He took it on his chest and dropped it in front of him in the area. He only had the keeper to beat, and right now Hills is the man in form - he made no mistake and buried it into the net.
The match was only five minutes old, and Blackpool grew in confidence after this goal, putting Carlisle under increased pressure. They were passing the ball around well in midfield, provoking Carlisle into some rash challenges which brought the yellow card out three times. From one of these Blackpool had another good chance. They were awarded a free kick, about ten yards outside the area a little left of centre. Paul Simpson stepped up and blasted a fierce rising shot, straight through the wall. It was heading for the top right corner of the goal, but the keeper did well to get a hand to it and turn it over the top.
Meanwhile Carlisle had a number of attacks, but they could not penetrate the defence with any consistency, and most of their efforts petered out with a poor ball which was collected by the defenders or the keeper. There was one worrying moment, when a ball went spinning up the middle with a forward in pursuit, and Kennedy seemed unsure what to do. Almost in slow motion he came out to meet the ball, which swerved as it bounced, forcing him to dive sideways on the edge of his area to smother it on the second attempt.
Blackpool were always far more likely to add another goal, and a minute from half time they did so. Another ball was played to Hills, out wide on the touchline, and he put in a cross to the near post. Murphy slid in with the defenders and got to it first, touching it across the goal. For a moment we were unsure if it was going in, but it struck the inside of the far post and bounced finally into the net.
After half time Blackpool were straight back on the attack, looking to sew the match up. Almost straight away Murphy picked up a loose ball and looked to be clear up the middle, but he was brought down by a clumsy challenge which could have earned more than the yellow card it actually got. Again Simpson took the free kick - this time he hit it with more swerve, aiming for the top left corner, but once again the keeper did well and turned it for a corner. From this the ball was played along the ground to Reid, waiting unmarked just inside the box, but his shot was feeble and the keeper was able to drop on it comfortably.
Six minutes into the half Carlisle were reduced to ten men. The ball was out on the right wing, when Coid played a pass and then was felled by a rash late tackle. The player responsible (Carl Heggs) had already been booked so the result was inevitable. For the next twenty minutes Blackpool were completely dominant, the extra man making their passing style even more effective. Several times they tried to be too elaborate, in fact, when a bit more urgency might have brought results. Wellens went on a run into the box on the right, like the one which led to Murphy's hat trick against Stockport. He beat one man, then another, and reached the byline. However he then tried to beat one man too many, and although he got past, the ball had run a little too far ahead and the keeper was able to get out and grab it. Another attack led to a corner on the right; it was hit over beyond the far post where Reid was unmarked, but instead of heading it, he let it drop to his feet and tried to flick it past the keeper, but again the shot was poor and was easily caught. Reid was pushing forward quite a lot now, supporting Hills and making an extra man on the left wing, which shows the extent to which Blackpool were on top.
Murphy had a couple of good chances; for the first he had the ball in the area with his back to goal, but couldn't turn and had to pass it back. The second time the ball came to him from the right, and this time he controlled and turned successfully, but his shot as he fell backwards flew over an open goal. With twenty minutes left all the pressure finally paid off. Once again Wellens went on a run on the right, into the box, and this time he looked up and picked his pass back properly. It bypassed Murphy in the middle, and came to Clarkson about ten yards out at the far post; he made no mistake with a high shot into the net. That should have been the end of it, but within a minute Carlisle were back in with a shout. A ball bounced into the Blackpool area, harmless enough looking, but an attacker got to it first and his backward header dropped into the net with Kennedy rooted to the spot and the defenders looking at each other in amazement.
At this point McMahon made a double change, bringing Hughes on for Thompson and Jaszczun for Hills (who was again the man of the match). You could see the nerves beginning to show, even with a two goal lead against ten men, when an even more bizarre mistake put everyone on the edge again. The Carlisle keeper hit a long drop kick, which bounced on the edge of the Blackpool area, over Kennedy who had come out too far, and into the net. The home crowd didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and the visitors were suddenly aware that they might actually come out of the game with an undeserved point. Blackpool, even with an extra man, were now under constant pressure, and could not manage to retain possession upfield. There were several corners, and two free kicks in shooting range. Fortunately Carlisle are really not very good - the first shot was miles high, the second hit the wall, but Blackpool were still struggling. Deep into injury time yet another corner led to a scramble in the home box, but fortunately the referee gave a free kick against an attacker. The ball was played upfield, and at last Blackpool managed to hold the ball in the corner for a couple of minutes until the final whistle went.
So, three wins on the trot, unimaginable luxury ten days ago after the Plymouth debacle. However the defence continues to provoke serious concern, with yet another goalie joining in the slapstick antics which seem to be compulsory at the moment. You have to feel sorry for the attack, when even three goals are not enough for comfort. If we could sort this out then the playoffs are very much a realistic ambition, but right now the fragile last line of defence always threatens to undermine the whole team.