A LAST gasp goal from Leon Knight stole the points for Town and spoilt the party in Blackpool's first match in their two new stands. Unfortunately for the Seasiders a new stadium didn't bring a new defence and the near-capacity crowd witnessed Pool make the same old mistakes.

The performance was good, Blackpool had the lions share of the possession against a team flying high near the top of the division. Steve McMahon certainly believed his team had it in them to win the game, opting to play 3 up front. Strikers Richard Walker, Scott Taylor and John Murphy all started but when the game got under-way it did seem as though Taylor was playing just behind the other two - a role he took on brilliantly, especially in the first half. Behind them were a midfield three of Lee Collins, Richie Wellens, John Hills who all played their part well. At the back Phil Barnes was protected by Ian Marshall, John O'Kane, Tommy Jaszczun and Brian Reid.

The team seemed just as up for the game as the fans were in their new facilities in the new west and north stands. Taylor and Hills in particular started brightly, cutting inside the Huddersfield fullbacks to supply crosses for Walker and Murphy. Unfortunately for Pool, neither Walker nor Murphy seemed keen on the scoring the first goal in the new-look stadium. On a number of occasions in the first half, Walker and Murphy chose to give each other the chance to shoot when they really should have shot themselves first time.

At the other end Huddersfield were confined to a few long-range shots, which were easy pickings for Phil Barnes. Blackpool meanwhile were getting closer and closer and on 23 minutes Richard Walker came within a whisker of the opening goal. After twisting the turning through the Huddersfield defence Walker side footed past Huddersfield keeper Martyn Margetson but saw his shot agonisingly rebound of the far post.

Walker was unlucky again, just a minute later. This time Margettson got in the way of an opening goal for Walker, acrobatically pushing away his shot from just inside the box.

Huddersfield had the next big chance, around the half hour mark. Ex Premiership striker Clyde Wijnhard should have put the visitors in the lead when a defensive mix-up by the Tangerines handed him a free shot at Phil Barnes 6 yards out. But Wijnhard got caught in two minds in whether to chip or side foot past Barnes and in the end the Huddersfield striker produced nothing more than a pass back to a relieved Barnes.

The chances became fewer as the half drew to a close and by the time the referee blew the half time whistle the game had become scrappy with the wind and playing surface the main culprits.

However Pool were rewarded for their hard work when the second half started. Minutes after the restart, Scott Taylor won a corner on the right hand side and it was Taylor himself who supplied the cross after receiving the ball from Richie Wellens from a short corner. The cross was excellent low and fast making it very difficult to defend against and when Ian Marshall connected with the ball all he had to do was steer the ball past Margetson to find the bottom corner.

Huddersfield came back into the game straight after the goal and began to put pressure on the Blackpool defence. Pool were finding miniature striker Leon Knight especially difficult to defend against with his pace and weaving runs too much for the not-so agile Ian Marshall. Eventually Knight got on the score sheet but in a way that no would have imagined and a way that Pool boss Steve McMahon will not be pleased about. Knight, who is surely the smallest player to visit Bloomfield Road this season at 5'4" out-jumped John O'Kane to loop a header past a stranded Phil Barnes and into the far corner. It was a ridiculous goal to concede, given the size of Knight and the fact that he was the only player in the Blackpool box who Pool had to defend against.

The remainder of the game could have gone either way. Leon Knight continued to threaten for Huddersfield, as did substitute for Blackpool Martin Bullock at the other end. One such chance from Bullock should have been converted by Murphy with 5 minutes remaining but the big striker is not known for his pace and the visitors' defence recovered just as Murphy shaped to shoot.

But just as the game seemed destined to end in a draw, another defensive mistake allowed Knight to grab the winner for Huddersfield in the third minute of injury time. A hopeful ball into the Blackpool box should have been dealt with by any one of O'Kane, Marshall or Barnes. But instead Knight capitalised on a moments' hesitation by Blackpool to stab the ball past Barnes for the cruellest of winners.

By then it was too late for Pool and Huddersfield achieved revenge for the LDV Vans exit enforced on them from Blackpool a week earlier. At the end of the day, it was all about matters off the pitch with the Blackpool fans finally sitting down in the two new stands. A win would have helped though, as many of the stay-away fans who returned will leave the new-look Bloomfield Road seeing a same-old Blackpool display.

BLACKPOOL 1

Marshall (47)

HUDDERSFIELD 2

Knight (70,90)