Rising star Simon Wiles will bid to cement his first team place after a dream debut eased the pressure on under-fire boss, Colin Hendry.

Hendry admitted his job was on the line before the Bank Holiday showdown against Bradford City - and things looked bleak for the Scot when Rob Edwards was sent off after just 36 minutes.

The left back had been menaced by pacy winger, Ben Muirhead, all afternoon and had already received a couple of warnings before getting his second yellow card from Lancashire referee, Lee Mason.

But a defensive reorganisation took Danny Coid over to cut out the supply from the left, with Simon Grayson slotting in at right back, while Scott Vernon joined a battling midfield.

Bradford enjoyed the bulk of the chances but ever-ready Peter Clarke and Tony Butler, restored to the starting line-up for the first time this season, showed no signs of yielding despite the guile of veteran sub Steve Claridge and another golden oldie, Dean Windass, who Bradford refused to sell to Wigan last week despite a £450,000 offer for a player who is in his 20th season of professional football.

Blackpool slowly came more into the game after the introduction of Keith Southern and, especially, John Muphy. Southern hit the post with a header and, with barely five minutes left, Murphy got on the end of a long cross, nodding down for Wiles, just 20 and making his first league start, to head past the stranded Russell Howarth.

The delighted goalscorer received a ridiculous yellow card for a celebration which took him a couple of yards outside the playing area, but even that couldn't wipe the smile off the youngster's face. It was a worthy reward for an 18-month battle against injury which almost ended his career before it began.

What a contrast it was to Saturday's abject display at Rotherham. Blackpool defended well enough for the opening 40 minutes despite pressure from a physical and hard working Rotherham side.

But, on 40 minutes, the defenders who had done so well went to sleep, allowing a straightforward throw in to drift through to John Mullin, and the former Burnley man made no mistake.

A Peter Clarke handball earned Rotherham a penalty before the break, saved brilliantly from Martin Butler by Les Pogliacomi.

But a second penalty just the other side of the break was put away by Deon Burton to kick off a hat trick for the former Jamaican world cup striker after the break.

Although the introduction of Wiles brought a brief rally after the third goal, Blackpool were shown up by Rotherham - who look just like so many big, physical, well-organised sides which have frequently won promotion from this division over the last few years.

Blackpool now go in to a Friday night showdown with Doncaster Rovers knowing that a repeat of the Rotherham debacle would put the pressure firmly back on Hendry and his team.

It will be a first return to Belle Vue for midfielder, John Doolan, who turned down an extended stay in South Yorkshire to join Blackpool in the summer