Abject Performance:
by John Secker
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Blackpool came to this match having taken only one point from the last fifteen, and lying next to bottom of the division. Chesterfield were flying high at the top, and it was always going to be a tough challenge for the home side, who did, however, have a fine Cup performance at Norwich to look back on. Andy Morrison was back in the centre of defence, and the team lined up 4-4-2, with Bushell, Wellens, Collins and Simpson in midfield. The first ten minutes saw something of a stalemate, with neither team really able to take hold of the game, and no attacks to mention at either end. Blackpool certainly didn't look like the home side, they seemed rather nervous and in awe of the visitors, and they were not passing the ball well. Chesterfield were winning more in midfield, but initially they were not penetrating the defence. However in the tenth minute that changed dramatically. Chesterfield won a free kick, on the touchline on their left. It had to be retaken, after they played it from the wrong spot, and the second attempt was hit quite flat into the box. It was met in the area by an unmarked Chesterfield forward, who glanced a header into the far corner of the net. Barnes was not at fault - the defence simply failed to pick up a forward at a set piece, and the forward then did what he was paid for, put the ball into the goal.
Blackpool were clearly rattled by this, and Chesterfield were soon putting them under pressure again, with a couple of corners. Only four minutes later the defence caved in again, and pretty well finished any hope Blackpool had in this game. After some interpassing a Chesterfield player broke into the box on the right hand side, still well away from the goal, but Hughes flattened him, a clear penalty. Barnes went the wrong way, and it was 2-0.
You couldn't say that Blackpool's heads went down, because they had never been up, but they clearly didn't know what to do now, and no- one was stepping in to take control. Morrison was as usual winning all the balls in the air which came his way, but he is too unfit to dominate when the ball is played through on the ground. Ormerod was working hard, and most of Blackpool's few chances came from work on the wing by him. Apart from those two, you couldn't point to anyone in the home team who had even an adequate performance. For the remainder of the first half, and most of the second, they tried (not very hard) and failed to put any pressure on Chesterfield's defence.
Whether it was by plan, or a consequence of their collapse of confidence, Blackpool's style of play was noticeably different. They were passing it less, and when they did make a pass it was usually sideways or backwards. They played far more long balls, either high ones up to Murphy, or balls into space for Ormerod to run onto. Too many of the long balls were in fact played into space where there was nobody at all in a tangerine shirt - Blackpool wasted far too much possession far too easily. Their most fruitful avenue was the right wing, where Ormerod several times managed to make space for a cross. Blackpool's best chance in the first half came this way, when he cut back then played a lobbed cross to the far post, but Murphy coming in could not time his jump, and the ball dropped beyond him for a goal kick. Simpson, running up the middle, found some space and tried a shot, but it looped well wide of the post. Meanwhile at the other end Chesterfield were finding plenty of space around the defence, especially up their right, where Jaszczun had a poor game. In one attack up that side a player broke into the box an fired in a fierce shot. Barnes had already dived to his right, but as the ball swerved to go above him he shot out his left hand and punched it over the bar - a fine save which kept Blackpool in with a shout a little longer. Soon after a corner led to a Chesterfield shot being cleared off the line, by Coid I think.
The second half showed no real change from the first. Blackpool had no shape or obvious tactical purpose, and the few chances which were created, mostly by Ormerod, were missed, mostly by Murphy. Chesterfield continued to create space and put the defence under pressure. At one point Hughes, who was looking tired, had to slide in at the near post to intercept a dangerous cross and put it out for a corner. After 66 minutes Lee Collins was taken off, and Adam Nowland brought on. Five minutes later Chesterfield made a double substitution, taking off both their goalscorers, and at the same time Hughes went off, replaced by Eifion Jones. Before he had touched the ball Jones was put under pressure, and failed the test. A ball was played upfield, left of centre, and Jones and his forward scrapped for it on the edge of the box. Although the forward fell down and had to regain his feet, he still held onto the ball, and broke through to take it to the by-line. He was able to look up and pick his pass, which was played out nearly to the edge of the box in the centre. Here a Chesterfield player, running in, had all the time he needed to place his shot wide of Barnes' reach into the right hand side of the goal.
Perhaps Chesterfield relaxed a bit now - you could certainly excuse them if they did, because they were winning in a stroll. One of their players tried to volley a shot from about forty yards, but ballooned it into the South Stand instead. However a couple of minutes later, up at the other end, we saw a glimpse of what might have been. It was simple enough - a move from the right saw Coid play a pass to Bushell, on the edge of the box just left of the middle. He swept a shot across his body, and it curved into the top left hand corner, wide of the keeper's despairing hands.
Some polite applause greeted this, but there was no sense at all that Blackpool might fight back, and this is the most disappointing thing about today's performance. Early in the season they kept trying right up to the end - which earned them most of the meagre six points they now possess. However today they clearly had no thought that they might still get something out of the match. High balls were allowed to drop to Chesterfield players without challenge, when the ball went forward the visiting defence were given all the time they wanted to clear it, and in the midfield Blackpool players were always under pressure, Chesterfield players not. There were moments of individual skill, but always followed by a mistake which killed the chance. For example late on a fine long crossfield ball was played to Nowland on the right wing, behind the defence. He used his speed to race onto it, then failed completely to control the ball, which rolled past him for a goal kick. It is perhaps unfair to single Nowland out in this way, almost everybody was at fault at one time or another. One thing worth mentioning, Barnes was not to blame for any of the goals, and had a fairly good game, considering the state of the team in front of him. Time ran out tamely, and the final whistle was greeted by a chorus of booing. Ormerod was the man of the match, a reasonable choice given that someone had to be named; his performance was only fair, but that made him a stand-out today.
Team: (4-4-2) Barnes, Coid, Jaszczun, Hughes (Jones 71), Morrison, Bushell, Wellens, Collins (Nowland 66), Simpson, Ormerod, Murphy
Click here to see the actual league table on this day.