Bristol City 1-1 Blackpool

VALERY Belokon, wearing a pale, check deerstalker hat which didn't quite go with his tangerine tie (though obviously I didn't dare tell him), emerged from the tunnel with a group of friends about half an hour after the game.

The Press murmured their hellos, although most of the national lads – who, now Pool are in the Championship, seem to have suddenly got interested and descended on the place in droves – didn't have a clue who this slightly odd-looking chap was.

"What think of game?" asked Belokon. "Me think very good but, how do you say, unlucky."

Or words to those effect. And do you know what? The man might have dodgy taste in headwear but he's not at all bad at summing up a football match.

For that's exactly how it was. This was a most enjoyable contest, hard but fairly fought between two sides who tried to attack and play good football.

Blackpool were certainly the better team but Bristol City, inspired by a clever double substitution, hit back late on to take a well-earned point.

Perhaps, just as Pool maybe didn't really deserve all three points at Leicester last weekend, Bristol were fortunate to share the spoils. But in the end it didn't really matter. The main thing is that – cue cheesy cliché – football was the winner.

The result brought an end to the Seasiders stunning 11-game winning run, which began on March 31 when we were all looking forward to promotion and a gloriously long, hot summer. Well, one out of two ain't bad. That 11-game run is an amazing feat and congratulations to Simon Grayson and the players who featured in it.

Think about it. What you have just been lucky enough to witness is the best sequence of results in Blackpool FC's 120-year history and those kind of records aren't created by fluke. It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing and one hell of an achievement.

It would have been nice to equal the all-time Football League record of 14 straight victories. And it would have been even better, as one fan rather optimistically mentioned prior to kick-off, to have broken the record and made it 15 consecutive wins at Burnley – which is how, in an ideal world, it was scheduled to have turned out.

Alas, it isn't to be but there's no shame in falling short and the confidence gained from this memorable golden streak is there for all to see.

Blackpool are playing cavalier, free-flowing football and have had a fantastic first week –picking up four Championship points from six and progressing to a Carling Cup second round clash against a Premiership side.

If any fan is disappointed with that they need their heads seeing to.

Twelve months ago the Seasiders' first week consisted of the following scorelines: Brentford 1 Blackpol 0, Blackpool 0 Nottingham Forest 2, Blackpool 0 Rotherham 1. And that was in League One. It's been a mammoth leap forward in the last year and we should enjoy it while we can.

The crowd certainly seemed to do that. With the home ends sold out, the supporters backed their team throughout and quite rightly, despite the failure to win, applauded their players off at the end. It was also nice to see the Bristol players being clapped off by many home fans – they too play good football and it would be nice if both clubs, plus the other promoted side, Scunthorpe, could hold their own in the campaign ahead.

Grayson made two predictable changes, replacing John Hills and the crocked Ian Evatt with Wes Hoolahan and Kaspars Gorkss, and one controversial alteration – bringing in Ben Burgess and dropping Keigan Parker to the bench.

Right from the kick-off the entire Blackpool team seemed like men on a mission.

When the ref started the game it was like watching an under-8s match on Common Edge as the Seasiders raced forward as if they thought they could steamroller their opponents into submission. The first corner arrived after 24 seconds.

But football's never that easy and, despite Pool having the lion's share of the play and the chances, it was goalless at the break.

Keith Southern came closest to breaking the deadlock but his low, angled drive from the edge of the area hit the post.

City keeper Chris Weale did well to keep out Hoolahan's drive and defender Liam Fontaine reacted sharply to prevent Ben Burgess knocking in the rebound. Andy Morrell sent a spectacular scissor kick looping onto the roof of the net.

The first goal eventually arrived six minutes after the break and it was fully merited.

As they'd done in the opening period, Grayson's men raced out of the blocks and pinned the visitors back. But this time they made the breakthrough.

Southern, as he was with most things during the afternoon, was at the heart of it. A short corner found him on the edge of the box. He fired in a powerful drive which somehow Morrell managed to divert into the net, although Weale – who made some tremendous stops throughout the afternoon – came within a whisker of keeping it out.

It was Morrell's 21st goal for the Seasiders, but more importantly his first of this campaign and hopefully there will be many more to come.

Morrell was one of many Pool players who terrorised the Bristol goal for the next 20 minutes but try as they might – and by God they tried – the Tangerines couldn't make the breakthrough and get a second goal which would have proved so crucial.

Morrell was so knackered that he had to ask Grayson if he could come off after 71 minutes – unheard for a player who normally reacts to being subbed as if someone had set fire to his best carpet. Still, it is testament to the effort he put in throughout the game – he gave his all, as he always does.

Morrell's departure allowed Parker to get on and the Scot used his pent-up frustration at being dropped to good effect just 21 seconds after coming on. He picked up the ball on the edge of the

penalty area, beat a defender and fired a curling shot which would have ended up in the top corner a la Wembley had Weale not pulled off a fine, athletic save.

It was a crucial moment as three minutes later City equalised. For the first time all afternoon, Lee Trundle turned Gorkss in the area and although his shot was well saved by Paul Rachubka (who is continuing his terrific start to the season), the rebound looped straight into the path of Scott Murray.

The sub – who had come off the bench to score against QPR last weekend – made no mistake, powering in a blistering volley.

Pool pressed forward again and had one last good chance. Sub Claus Jorgensen flung himself bravely into a left-foot shot from Ben Burgess's knockdown but again Weale was there to make a terrific stop. This was a great game and the fans got their money's worth.

The run might be over but the good times aren't.




However, this isn't Oscar Wilde, just a regional newspaper reporter, so let me be more blunt: to concede two identical free-kicks was rank poor.
And, what's more, it once again robs Blackpool of what would have been three very handy points.
The third 2-2 draw in succession was not only amazing for the fact that Mark Yeates was able to score twice with virtually the same shot from 25 yards out, but also because it mirrored so closely the events of last Tuesday, when again the Seasiders were guilty of letting slip a lead and more valuable points.
Then Sheffield United had struck with two minutes left. Colchester did it slightly earlier – their equaliser arriving four minutes from time.
With tough trips to Watford and Coventry coming up, it's not ideal to be throwing victories away.
It was a shame too because Blackpool, though hardly totally dominant, had done enough to merit a win.
After the most tepid opening 45 minutes of the campaign thus far, a half-time talk (or, more likely, roasting) from Simon Grayson led to a much improved second period.
Pool twice went ahead through goals from Andy Morrell and Shaun Barker but were pegged back both times by free-kicks from Yeates.
The first, on 64 minutes, was a belter; curled into the right hand side of the net via the post. Unstoppable. Paul Rachubka had no chance.
The second one late on, though, should not have been allowed to creep in. This free-kick, somewhat softly awarded after the otherwise immense Michael Jackson was adjudged to have leant on Clive Platt in an aerial challenge, was in the same position on the pitch – to the left of the D – and the same distance: 25 yards out.
Everyone in the stadium knew what was coming, that Yeates would try his luck again and probably go for the same corner.
So just how his shot, which didn't seem to have as much venom nor be as well-placed as his first effort, managed to squeeze into the same corner is a question only Rachubka and his defenders can answer.
It wasn't clever and, judging by the looks on the faces of the players as they emerged back onto the pitch after the game to do a warm-down, there had been some harsh words in the dressing room.
There was another factor why all this was so disappointing. A win for Blackpool would have been a very fitting result for one major, major reason.
Sky TV might find this hard to believe but sometimes even football pales into insignificance.
Such a moment had occurred when Jimmy Armfield, one of Blackpool's most famous sons, stepped onto the pitch at half-time.
His job was to do the Golden Gamble draw. In reality it was an opportunity for the people of the town to show their admiration for a man who isn't just a hero in footballing terms but has shown, and is showing huge courage as he battles against throat cancer.
Everyone in the stadium stood and applauded for several minutes, a reaction which said it all and brought a tear to the eye of many who were there.
In his usual modest way, Jimmy tried to stop the applause before reluctantly taking the microphone to express gratitude for his welcome – before adding "anyway, on with what I'm supposed to be doing."
The reception for Armfield spoke more than any words could. He's a legend around the country but as a loyal one-club servant throughout his playing career, he will be remembered just a little more fondly at Bloomfield Road than anywhere else.
It was also another reminder to Karl Oyston: get the South Stand – to be named after Armfield –built so we can have another such moment when it is finally opened.
In truth, Armfield probably wouldn't have made much of the first half as Pool and Colchester – who had both named unchanged line-ups from their respective midweek games – failed to create much excitement.
It was particularly dire for Ian Evatt, who limped off with a knee injury after 21 minutes. He had fallen to the ground after helping clear a Colchester attack. It looked innocuous but obviously wasn't. As Evatt limped down the tunnel, kicking a water bottle in frustration (believe me, that was genuine – the lad loves playing football), Kaspars Gorkss stripped off and went on to barely put a foot wrong.
That means that when Evatt is fit, Grayson has another big dilemma. But that's good. Remember when Peter Clarke, back here tomorrow with Southend, was around? Clarke was a surefire pick for every single game. That isn't right.
Even fans' favourites and player of the season winners must be kept on their toes at all times, so to have someone like Gorkss is great – it means everyone at the back must produce the goods every week.
Ben Burgess, continuing to perform well, had the one real good chance of the first half, charging into the box and smashing in a left-footer which almost broke the post in two.
Not a great game though – until the second half that is.
Pool began much better, playing at a higher tempo, and a goal arrived on 54 minutes. David Fox's corner was glanced on by Gorkss, and Morrell, in acres of space at the back post, tapped in from barely two yards.
Southern dragged a sidefooted effort inches wide on the hour and Burgess forced Davison into a sprawling, one-handed stop before the visitors hit back on 64 minutes with the first of Yeates's free-kicks, this one awarded after a rash challenge from Gary Taylor-Fletcher.
The next 20 minutes were excellent – wide open as Pool went for another goal and Colchester found space on the counter attack.
Wes Hoolahan and Andy Welsh, on for Taylor-Fletcher, began to probe down the flanks but it was from another corner, six minutes from time, that Pool struck again.
Fox's delivery to the back post was met quite superbly by Barker, the right back rising above a crowd of players to send a powerful, diagonal header into the net.
Surely that would win it? Yeates had other ideas though as free-kick number two sailed in and Pool snatched a draw from the jaws of victory.
Disappointing certainly, but nothing more. Pool again played very well against opponents who finished 10th in the Championship last season and a team who have yet to be beaten on their travels this term.
They were robbed of the points by a freak moment. However, it was sloppy and they do have to cut the mistakes out. Dropped points now could be crucial come the end of the year so it's best to get out of the habit of conceding late goals sooner rather than later