A rip-roaring game as a well organised Blackpool side exploit rare mistakes by Boaz Myhill to take a two goal lead, before the Tigers claw back to parity with tap-ins from Folan and Windass.  Ultimately, a point well earned by both sides.

Report by Mike Scott.

In a clash between two well organised and confident sides it was likely that a moment of inspiration would settle matters, a flash of genius from a player that has seen the highest levels of football and is still capable of reeling back the years every now and then. So it was when just after half time Paul Dickov – a bit part Premiership player for the majority of its existence, but a classy fellow nonetheless – chased down a forward ball accompanied by Turner, pressured the City defender into making a bit of a hash of a clearing header and then clipped a delightful lob over the defender and Myhill and into the net. It was a sublime finish of true quality and in putting Blackpool 2-0 up it was likely to be the match’s defining moment.

But these are marvellous times at the KC Stadium, and it was testament to City’s form and willpower just now that the inevitable defeat was not accepted and a point was claimed via a roaring comeback. It’s not just the wins that define a successful season – a comeback like this will lift spirits in the camp just as much as a cruising 4-0 victory given the adversity experienced earlier in the afternoon.

Lining up against a well organised Seasiders XI spattered with ex-Tigers Burgess, Taylor-Fletcher and the benchwarming Green were:

Myhill
Ricketts Turner Brown Pedersen
France Ashbee Walton Hughes
Campbell Windass

So after a week or injury and illness scares only Garcia (in Australia, grieving) and Dawson (in bed, sneezing) were unavailable. Our bench was full of quality in the shape of Barmby, Okocha, Marney and Folan. Our full backs offered a pleasingly attacking feel to the side, which no doubt encouraged Phil Brown to shore things up with two defensively minded operatives in the central midfield engine room. And it was down the flanks that we eventually attacked with flair and good effect. But the game commenced with City generally on the defensive and Blackpool’s more flair-ful midfield dominated proceedings. Within a minute Hughes had cut inside from the left flank and chopped a low cross into the box that Campbell dummied but it arrived in a hurry at Windass’s feet and he could only muster a reaction poke that dribbled well wide. City’s attacking threat was coming down the left through Hughes but Blackpool were soon making chances of their own as the attacked through Ben Burgess, an ex-Tiger totem up front that played the target man role to perfection and looked about 100 times fitter than the last few times I’ve seen him. Decent player, Ben.

On 5 Blackpool’s Hoolahan swung over a corner and captain Barker saw his header tipped over by Myhill. From the next corner Evatt headed wide. Ashbee blootered a left shot into orbit from 20 yards after Hughes and Campbell combined well down the left but City chances were now becoming few and far between as the away side started to dominate proceedings. City’s flow was further disrupted on 17 when Hughes was felled as he cleared inside the City box, the 7 minutes of attention from the trainers culminating in him being stretchered off sporting full neck brace regalia. Barmby entered the fray on the left but his inclination was to rove more than Hughes, which opened up occasional interesting opportunities but also left Pedersen occasionally exposed at left back. Blackpool enjoyed plenty of possession but carved few noteworthy chances, whereas City exposed the away defence on 26 as Campbell nodded down to Windass who took a touch and shot from 15 yards straight at Rachubka at face height, allowing the goalkeeper to claw the shot away. Good move, poor finish. On 33 the years were rolled back as a delightful combination of Windass and Barmby backheaders created space for Walton to shoot from 30 yards but the youngster’s effort didn’t match the build-up and it drifted way wide.

Then on 39 Blackpool were rewarded for their possession with a goal. A long ball enticed Myhill off his line to try and punch clear from 15 yards out. Myhill isn’t very confident at coming off his line – and given the choice between him racing off his line and making a mistake, or staying back and allowing his defenders to cope as best they can, I’d take the latter. So I suspect would Phil Brown now that he has seen the results of the former, as Myhill failed to connect with his punch, Burgess backheaded the ball into Dickov’s path and the diminutive Scotchman tapped the ball into an open goal. A horror goal.

Minutes later Blackpool again open up City after Myhill flapped at a cross and only two sprawling blocks from Ricketts and Pedersen prevent a second goal. At the other end Barmby volleyed over after a corner was only partially cleared and Nicky again had a chance down the inside left channel but his shot was deflected wide. Nicky then completed his half by clattering Rachubka and receiving a booking. The referee, all of a sudden card happy as the game threatened to boil over during extended injury time, then carded Pool defender Gorkss for a lunge at Campbell.

On 48 Taylor-Fletcher – merely Fletcher when he was a brief loanee at City seven years ago – saw yellow for fouling Ricketts as he hustled past him wide right. France’s free kick was well delivered and defender Barker could only clear to the edge of box where Walton sized up a shot but allowed it to drift a foot wide of the left post. From that effort Blackpool went up the other end and Dickov’s excellence made it 2-0.

After a few minutes of regrouping City withdrew Walton – whose endeavour was unquestionable but his passing was wayward – for Folan. His midfield partner Ashbee also showed unquestionable endeavour and wayward passing, but young Walton learned that when one of two players have to come off and one of the two is Ian Ashbee, it’s the other one that makes way. As it should be when the captain is involved, I guess.

Anyway we went with three up front with Campbell and Folan leading the line, Windass dropping deep on occasions and Barmby scurrying around behind. This pushed Blackpool back and allowed space for the full backs, Pedersen especially, to exploit. On the hour Windass dropped deep and flicked a tasty pass down the inside left channel for Campbell to scurry on to. The young Manchester loanee took on the massed Blackpool defence and just when it seemed any opening had been snuffed out he changed direction, found a yard of space and pinged a low ball into the six yard box that was deflected into Folan’s path, allowing Caleb to shin the ball home and restore City’s chances somewhat. 1-2 and Blackpool quickly resembled a less confident and organised outfit than they did in the first half.

The chances were now mainly City’s. Campbell had a shot deflected wide after Folan headed on a Brown free-kick, indeed Folan was able to dominate the aerial battle with Gorkss and Evatt in the Blackpool defence almost entirely for a long spell. On 71 Ricketts again hurtled down the right and rode a challenge before reaching the goalline and serving up a looping cross that drifted into that dangerous area just beneath the underside of the crossbar. A melee of attackers and defenders assembled as Rachubka got an unsteady hand on the cross and as the ball dropped to earth Campbell had a scuffed shot from a foot blocked before Windass, all of six millimetres from goal, poked the equaliser home. A considerable amount of justified supporter pandemonium ensued.

At 2-2 both sides had chances to take the lead. Hoolahan slalomed through the heart of City’s defence but his shot was in Myhill’s reach and he clawed it wide. A super counter attacking move from left to right involving Pedersen, Ashbee and Campbell resulted in Fraizer in considerable space down the right but his 15 yard shot drifted just wide. But City’s approach was defined by the next substitute as Deans were exchanged and 4-4-2 was restored, Windass withdrawn and Marney emerging. Marney’s opening touches were just as unsure and heavy as had been witnessed in his recent January appearances and when he received the ball from a cleared corner the “Clang!!!” was audible across West Hull as his first touch spannered well ahead of its intended position. Marney accepted his “second touch a tackle” role and hared after the ball, which had also enticed Latvian Gorkss to attempt an interception. Marney got their first – just – Gorkss bought him down and the defender received his second yellow and trudged off muttering to himself in a Baltic language about how it could be that such a terrible touch could have had such a negative effect on his afternoon.

Blackpool had subbed off Dickov by now and that, combined with City’s 4-4-2 formation, allowed both sides to adopt a “hold what we have” mentality and the game fizzled out in the dying 10 minutes. Given where we had been at 0-2 this was perhaps understandable caution by Phil Brown, especially as Blackpool adopted a rigid two banks of four none-shall-pass mentality after the red card that blocked all realistic chances of City penetration while sacrificing any real chance to get forward.

A great game of entertaining football and a solitary point that maintains City’s position on the play-off fringes. But it was the comeback from 0-2 that was really important here, the will and desire to return from adversity is something that has been missing from the Tigers armoury ever since Peter Taylor left the club – or perhaps more realistically since the club left the lower leagues. That strength of team character is back now and it’s the sort of attribute that could propel City to a top six finish come May. Norwich next – a form team like Blackpool, then Colchester next – they’re bottom and rubbish. An important week coming up.

HULL CITY (4-4-2): Myhill; Ricketts, Turner, Brown, Pedersen; France, Walton, Ashbee, Hughes; Campbell, Windass.  Subs: Barmby (for Hughes, 24), Folan (for Walton, 57), Marney (for Windass, 78), Okocha, Tyler.

Goals: Folan 60; Windass 71

Booked: Barmby

Sent Off: None

BLACKPOOL: Rachubka, Barker, Evatt, Gorkss, Crainey, Flynn, Hoolahan, Jorgensen, Taylor-Fletcher, Burgess, Dickov.  Subs: Green (for Flynn, 78), Morrell (for Dickov, 80), Jackson (for Hoolahan, 85), Fox, Welsh.

Goals: Dickov 39, 50

Booked: Burgess, Gorkss, Jorgensen, Taylor-Fletcher

Sent Off: Gorkss

REFEREE:  J Moss

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