HOW Blackpool failed to secure three points from this game is anybody's guess.
After a fantastic start which saw them go 2-0l up, the Seasiders collapsed in the second half and ridiculously let in two goals. Bad luck, bad finishing and some questionable refereeing were the main culprits,
but there's no excuse for letting teams steal points late on in a match that Blackpool dominated so much in the early stages
Manager Steve McMahon needed to make only one change to the line-up that beat Wigan in midweek. Veteran right back Gary
Parkinson, injured in the 3-2 cup victory, was replaced by Tony Bullock and he was partnered with Tommy Jaszczun in Blackpool's wing back positions. In a three-man defence were Ian Hughes, John O'Kane and young Phil Thompson who kept his place after Brian Reid had failed to recover from injury.
Richie Wellens, Neil Mackenzie and Paul Simpson made up the midfield and Brett Ormerod and John Murphy completed the line-up in attack.
Pool exploded into life from the kick off with Richie Wellens going close with an audacious volley in the opening minutes. Not long after
Brett Ormerod opened the scoring with just four minutes on the clock.
A long ball from Simpson was miss-judged by Wycombe defender Jason Cousins and Brett Ormerod pounced on the loose ball to run through on goal and finish clinically for his first league goal of the season.
Ten minutes later and it was 2-0 to Blackpool. A series of in-swinging
corners by Paul Simpson caused Wycombe all kinds of problems until Phil
Thompson managed to make the pressure pay, heading in spectacularly into the top left of the goal from close range.
Blackpool continued to dominate with a chance falling to the head of John Murphy who could have done better when his effort trickled wide. However Wycombe came very close to grabbing a goal back when Steve Brown's shot was tipped on to the inside of the post by Pool keeper Phil Barnes.
Pool were then forced into a change with John Hills coming on for the
injured Ian Hughes. The reshuffle in defence disrupted the flow and the
Seasiders could not recreate the form of the opening minutes for the rest of the game. Indeed, substitute Hills was at fault when Wycombe
grabbed a goal back just before half-time.
Hills recklessly lunged at Wycombe's Michael Simpson in the box and the referee had no hesitation in awarding a penalty. Steve Brown coolly slotted home, sending Barnes the wrong way.
The Seasiders looked a different team in the second half, clearly cautious about moving forward after Wycombe's goal.
Although, with Wycombe doing most of the attacking, chances came to the Seasiders on the break and two such counter attacks gave Brett Ormerod and substitute Jamie Milligan golden opportunities to seal the points. But both Ormerod and Milligan were denied by two good saves by Wycombe keeper Martin Taylor.
With so many chance going begging it seemed inevitable that Pool would
concede at the other end, such is the trend that has stuck with Blackpool.
Darren Currie, the hat-trick hero from Barnet's 7-0 mauling of the Seasiders last season, equalised with a superb headed goal on 82 minutes following a cross by Keith Ryan.
With Wycombe settling for a point, and the Seasiders shell-shocked by the equaliser, both sides failed to create any chances in the 10 minutes that remained despite more than five minutes of injury time. So the game ended in a disappointing 2-2 draw and the Bloomfield Road support made their frustrations very clear at the final whistle.
RESULT: Blackpool 2-2 Wycombe
Scorers: Blackpool-Ormerod (3), Thompson (14)
Wycombe: Brown (pen 41), Currie (82)
Attendance: 5,010
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