10 years ago - Pool 91st in the Football League

Of course the time to be in gold, silver or bronze positions on the Third Division podium is in May when the all-important promotion medals are being handed out. But even in September the Tangerines could do without wearing the tag of the second worst professional outfit in the land. Thank God for Halifax! (and I bet not many people say that!) Again the Seasiders are today left rueing two moments when they failed to show the sharpness needed, first to cut out danger at one end and then to kill their opponents off at the other. Phil Barnes must hold his hand up for the first as the club's goalkeeping jinx continues to follow whichever custodian wears the green jersey.

Barnes had already enjoyed one major let-off when striker Gavin Gordon contrived to blaze the ball over the bar from just four yards out after Pool's keeper failed to deal with Justin Walker's corner. That was on 20 minutes. Twelve minutes later Barnes made the mistake of giving Gordon a second chance and this time he took it. Peter Gain whipped in a dangerous cross from the left, Barnes failed to get there first, Gordon made the more meaningful contact with his head and the ball ended up in the back of the net. For a Lincoln side who had scored 34 of their previous 37 goals from set-pieces and had already caused Pool problems with their corners and long-throws it was ironic the opener would come from such a rare threat in open play.

At the other end the most crucial moment - aside from John Murphy's equaliser, of which more later - came with six minutes of the match remaining when with the scores at 1-1 Ormerod was put through by Paul Simpson. Ormerod managed to find clear water ahead of defender David Brown and when he took the ball to the side of advancing keeper Alan Marriott the stage was set for him to shoot Steve McMahon's men to their first league win in seven. Instead with defender Brown rushing back to cover the line, Ormerod hesitated. They say he who hesitates is lost, well here he who hesitates is drawn!

Ormerod waited far too long, and ended up not being able to even pull the trigger as the home defence crowded him out. The chance was gone. It's hard to be too tough on Ormerod. He is consistently Blackpool's main threat. And it was as if his first week of sleepless nights as a new father really did take its toll. Blame Dylan not Dad! It wasn't Ormerod's day. Aside from his match-winning chance, there were two other first half opportunities which went begging because Ormerod didn't quite have his usual sharpness.

The first came on 25 minutes from fluent Blackpool build-up play. Simpson started it out on the left, John Murphy did well to lay a lovely ball out to Steve Bushell and his ball inside found Ormerod in the Lincoln box. Ormerod took a touch to beat his man, but then with only Marriott to beat from ten yards out he blazed his shot high over the bar when he should have hit the target. Four minutes before half time another opportunity went begging when a poor first touch cost Ormerod after an even more intricate move opened up the home defence.

Richard Wellens started it this time with a crunching challenge to rob his opponent 25 yards out. Bushell and Danny Coid combined well before Lee Collins chipped the ball forward only for Ormerod's clumsy touch to take the ball too wide. As we've seen in patches throughout the season so far, Pool were capable of playing it around. And with Collins making an encouraging comeback for his first start since the opening day there was also a more urgent edge to Pool's play.

Not least when Collins himself started, and maybe should have finished, a 26th minute move which sliced through the home side's defence.Collins played a neat ball to Murphy who again showed his awareness to spread the ball wide to Bushell. By the time Bushell clipped the ball in to the near edge of the area Collins had continued his forward run to get on the end of it.

But again just when it seemed a ruthless finish would have put Pool ahead, Collins tried a first time shot, didn't quite connect and Marriott was able to gather. Despite Pool's chances, the home side were the bigger threat in the first period and just about deserved their half-time lead.

If it hadn't been for some superb defending by skipper Ian Hughes, time and again clearing his lines under pressure, and to a lesser extent Andy Morrison, Pool could have been even further behind. But it was a different story after the break when the Seasiders began to exert their authority on the game and with a more ruthless touch in front of goal could, and maybe should, have gone on to win it. Murphy gave them the perfect start to the second half, levelling with his sixth goal of the campaign - his third in the league and his first league goal since Pool's other away draw at Cardiff.

It came just seven minutes after the break after another good Blackpool move. Wellens was again the man to give Pool the momentum starting the ball rolling with a neat one-two to Simpson who in turn found Ormerod out on the right. If Ormerod wasn't having his best day in front of goal there was certainly nothing wrong with his supply sliding in a dangerous cross from the right.

Murphy in the middle seemed to have lost his way with his first touch to the side. But in fact it served to wrong-foot keeper Marriott and he had time to turn and hook the ball high into the net. From here on in Pool should have pressed home their advantage. And they had a chance to do just that only a minute later when Ormerod ran into the box on the end of another Simpson ball. But after jinking this way and that he didn't quite have the confidence to go on, and in trying to lay the ball back merely gave Lincoln the chance to clear.

Just 60 seconds later the Imps nearly made Pool pay. Tony Battersby tried his luck from the edge of the area more in hope than anything else and was unlucky to see his shot hit Barnes' left hand post and rebound across the face of goal. Despite Pool's increasing amount of possession it was again Lincoln who had the clearest cut chance when new loan striker from Leicester Lawrie Dudfield danced through.

Dudfield left Morrison for dead on his solo run to the byline before crossing high to the far post where Walker could only head over the bar from close range. Just a minute later all the attention switched to other end when Pool felt they should have had a penalty after Murphy went down under pressure from Steve Holmes six yards out.

Simpson had again been the provider and Murphy seemed set to shoot when he went to ground with Holmes at his side. It was impossible to see from the press box whether there had been a trip or a tug. It was certainly easy to have sympathy with Murphy's claims given that he was in such a wonderful position to score. But referee Alan Kaye was having none of it.

Before Ormerod's golden late chance there was one more vital piece of defending to be done. And Wellens was again the man getting his foot in where it mattered. With 13 minutes left Dudfield embarked on another solo run, beating Morrison to the ball and then touching it beyond Hughes. Just when it looked like the Lincoln player would win the run-chase in slid Wellens with a goal-saving challenge.

It laid the platform for Ormerod to go and finish it. Sadly it wasn't to be and Pool had to settle for their first point at Sincil Bank since Adolf Hitler was two years away from hijacking the Berlin Olympics. Pool's Olympic message is about the Third Division (not the Third Reich). And it's simple. Macca's men must jump through hoops to wipe out goal errors if, on Saturday, they are to bring about the fall of Division Three's rising leaders Chesterfield.

Macca's view

WE were by far the better team again. We coped with most of what they had to throw at us. I should just have a tape and give it to you after the game because it's the same old story. Phil Barnes should have come. Hasn't. The lad has got in front of him. Goal. But in general we cope with that all afternoon apart for that one occasion.

How the hell the referee can't see John Murphy go down six yards out. Is he going to fall over six yards out when he's got an open goal? It's just beyond belief that he couldn't give at least a penalty decision. Brett Ormerod wasn't sharp. I think the baby might have taken an effect on him. Although he says he was in the spare room last night. So I'll have to check the spare room. A sharp and an on-form Brett Ormerod would have had two or three goals out there, I'm convinced of that. Murphy took his goal very well. Second bite of the cherry and good for him. I thought our two centre backs were outstanding. The pair of them dealt with everything that was thrown at us and they were very solid.

We knew what it was going to be like. We know that is the way a lot of these teams in this division play. And we dealt with it most of the time. It must be frustrating to watch. The groundsman must have the easiest job in this stadium because he never cuts the grass by the look of it! So I'd love to be the groundsman here because you'd have your cigars out all week! Yes Richard Wellens made a great tackle near the end. And that's what we haven't been doing in the last few games. We haven't been dying for the cause and getting bodies in the way and we did this time. We ground out a result but having said that I am very disappointed that we haven't come away with three points. I am pleased we stopped the rot. But I am disappointed we haven't gone on and won the game.

Blackpool subsequently lost 3-1 at Chesterfield they were now lying in joint 92nd place level on ponts with Halifax Town but with a +3 better goal difference their lowest ever position in the football league .

On Friday 29th September in their first league 3 Sky live televised match against 7th place Kidderminster Harriers at Aggborough and with Macca's job on the line a brace from Paul Simpson and Brett Ormerod secured a 4-1 win and Blackpool jumped up to 17th place and the rest as they say is history...

This weekend and now occupying the final Champions League spot they travel to leaders Chelsea at Stamford Bridge for their first ever Barclays Premier League Sky televised appearance and astonshingly just under a decade since they played in front of 3,891 at Aggborough as a team at the very foot of the football league.