Teams - Blackpool made 6 changes...
Blackpool XI: Howard, Nottingham, Daniels (Bola), Tilt, Anderton, Spearing, Thompson, Pritchard (O'Connor), O'Sullivan, Cullen (Delfouneso), Gnanduillet
Subs not used: Sims, Turton, Sinclair-Smith, Dodoo
Barnsley made 8 changes...
Barnsley XI: Walton, Dougall (Potts), Pinnock, Cavare, Isgrove (Thiam), Jackson, Pinillos, Adeboyejo, McGeehan (Mowatt), Moncur, Bradshaw
Subs not used: Davies, Lindsey, Williams, Williams
Referee: Mark Heywood
The Game - Blackpool took on a form Barnsley side who had got their own League season off to a flyer as they comfortably sit at the top of the table. Blackpool had been much unlike their League One counterparts sitting on one point and being manageress meaning on paper there was to be only one winner. But football will always be football, anything can happen, and indeed it did.
Blackpool in fact started the first half well with Jay Spearing showing his ingenuity. He saw the keeper off his line in the 3rd minute and tried his luck but couldn't quite execute it and missed the target. The real chance of the opening exchanges, however, came in the 7th minute when Cullen found O'Sullivan after a smart interchange. O'Sullivan was able to find himself in a good position, but could only drag his shot to the right of the target.
Both sides had chances leading up to the opener but only half chances. Mocur and Pinilos had shots from distance but both times Howard was equal to it. Thompson had a go for Blackpool too in the 15th minute but he, instead, would miss the target. Just as the match was beginning to look a little scrappy though, disaster struck for the Seasiders.
In the 19th minute Moncur saw the ball drop perfectly for him and caught it on the volley, lashing it into the top corner. An unstoppable wonder goal that would, like last game, be destroying any confidence the Pool side had built up. But they wouldn't let this show, as Blackpool continued this time to show their quality and build upon their good performance so far.
Gnanduillet was getting into good positions but was struggling with getting the ball under control. However, as the match progressed, he got more and more up to speed and put forward a good case for a starting place on Saturday. For example in the 21st minute he was almost put through but could not quite latch on to the pass.
Cullen also was a frustrated figure throughout the entirety of the game despite constantly being a threat. He could not find a finish after bad defending from a corner in the 31st minute. Honestly, for all the Pool pressure, you wondered where a goal was going to come from. Not only that, but it was adversely Barnsley who would almost double their advantage. A quality corner from the visitors found Pinnock's head and he should have done better, only redirecting the ball onto the post. It was a let-off and those alarm bells were once more ringing as a second would surely put Barnsley out of sight.
Barnsley would continue their strong spell and should have maybe profited. In the 37th minute the goalscorer, Moncur, unleashed a moving shot that Howard could only parry to safety. But Blackpool were still far from out of this one.
On 44 minutes Blackpool won a corner, of which Tilt could only nod wide having been free and unmarked. In extra time Blackpool would have yet another chance as Thompson would fire wide after bad defending from the Tykes. A half time score of 0-1 might have felt a little unfair the men in tangerine, but they were still far from out of the game as those late chances proved.
Jay Spearing got the second half underway, and what a half it would prove to be under the floodlights. Blackpool came out of the blocks like greyhounds and would quickly have their first opportunity in the 50th minute. O'Sullivan sent Gnanduillet on his way but he simply took too long to get his shot away and the keeper was able to come out and close down the French striker's angles. Regardless, it was a corner and it would prove to be the turning point in the match.
The corner would first fall to Cullen who hit the underside of the bar from close range (how the hell did he miss that???) but luckily Nottingham would be on hand to pick up the pieces and find the net with his first goal for Blackpool. An excellent response to an unfair first half scoreline.
Blackpool did however nearly go astray once more however, as they tried to chuck away all their momentum as bad defending saw Adeboyejo clean through. The pacy striker could not see his way past Howard though, who heroically tipped the ball around the post. Barnsley were on the prowl now, finally looking for the kill but would see another chance go begging as Isgrove smashed over on 55 minutes.
But ruthlessly instead it was Blackpool who would find a way to score, albeit against the run of play. Pritchard would pick up the ball just outside the box and curl it, with the outside of his foot, into the top left hand corner. It was a turn around worthy to win any cup tie from Blackpool, but there was still over half an hour to go as that goal came on 57 minutes.
Barnsley were not going to give up either. Daniels headed away and a string of game saving blocks would help Blackpool to retain their lead. in addition, rather ominously Brad Potts would join the action and was roundly booed by Blackpool fans.
But Blackpool would actually continue to sustain some pressure of their own, in search of a game killing goal. In the 77th minute Thompson would find Delfouneso 7 Yards out but his contact was not sufficient to direct the ball goal wards. It would be a slice of genuine luck that led to the Blackpool third.
A naughty push by Gnanduillet in the 81st minute led to keeper Walton crossing his own area and leading to a freekick. The big striker would be the man on it and he went for power, blasting the ball into the roof of the net. Game, set and match; there was no way back for the Tykes now. Delfouneso almost wrapped it up in the 84th minute but could not find a way past Walton, but not to matter.
Blackpool progress to the next round of the League Cup and provide McPhillips with a real headache for the weekend. Blackpool are honestly starting to click and all they need is a reliable manager who can really push this club forward this season. Tilt is back which is absolutely brilliant and Gnanduillet is back among the goals with Nottingham and Pritchard grabbing their first goals for the club. As I said at the start of the season, this team could do well this year, but nobody could have foreseen what was to happen with the manager. As I have said before also, who knows where we will be in a month's time but that will only depend on the new manager and indeed the Oystons.
UTP
Manager Reactions:
Comments