STEVE MACMAHON was left fuming about referee Mike Ryan after seeing his side go down to a undeserved 2-1 defeat away at Oldham.

Despite dominating the game, Blackpool left Boundary Park with nothing, and McMahon aimed both barrels at ref Ryan after his decision to red card defender John O'Kane for time wasting.

McMahon said: "We lose our jobs over decisions. Players lose their pay and spectators are deprived of seeing 11 play 11 through lack of common sense.

"John wasn't time-wasting because we were actually losing at the time, but the referee has decided to send him off. It's ridiculous."

It's the second red card in as many games for the Seasiders after Martin Bullock was sent off in last week's 4-0 defeat at Brighton. And to add to McMahon's misery, Blackpool could have come away from Boundary Park with all three points when Richie Wellens was given a second half penalty. But such is Blackpool's luck at the moment, the usually clinical Wellens saw his strike well saved. Taking into consideration that Blackpool also had a penalty saved against Brighton, it's easy to understand McMahon's frustrations.

It looked like being one of those games when, even before a ball was kicked, the referee bizarrely asked James Pullen to take off his shirt with his name and squad number on the back and replace it with an identical shirt without his name and squad number.

Pullen was just one of a few surprises in the Seasiders' line-up, with both Neil Mackenzie and Lee Collins given rare starts in midfield. With the injury crisis over it was back to the status quo of Reid/Hughes at the back. In the end it was Reid who was Pool's surprise weakest link. The Scottish defender had a nightmare at the back, at times playing far too casually and putting Pool under unnecessary pressure.

The match itself was very entertaining, despite the card-happy ref. After Oldham had started better, the Seasiders had begun to take control only for Oldham to controversially open the scoring. On another day Pool would have got two free kicks in the build-up that led to the Oldham goal, but the decisions were carefully avoided by the officials and Darren Sheridan was allowed to knock the ball home for 1-0.

The second half started similarly to the first, with Pool's attacking engine being cut off just as it was getting started by another strange decision from the referee. Pool defender John O'Kane was given a second yellow card and sent off when he picked up the ball when a free kick was given to Oldham. To say the decision was harsh is an understatement.

However the 10-men did eventually manage to equalise through Brett Ormerod. After the Wellens penalty miss, an attack was started by Martin Bullock who did excellently to find Ormerod and he gladly slotted past Oldham keeper Gary Kelly to level the scores.

But it wasn't to be Blackpool's day as Oldham grabbed a late winner to take the points. After Ormerod had missed an excellent chance to make it two, Oldham's Mark Duxbury finished a move from the resulting goal kick to put the home side back in front and win the match.

RESULT: Oldham 2 Blackpool1

Scorers: Oldham: D. Sheridan (30) L. Duxbury (88)

Blackpool: B. Ormerod (78).

Att: 6,650