Blackpool's player are limbering up to help out the fortunes of England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, or whatever nationality they represent, by cracking open a can of Stella and watching on telly like the rest of us.

All of which means that, thanks to these rather strange Football Association rules, they have a nice little breather before the next game – another big one, at home to Plymouth.

Hopefully in that period, injured players like Ian Evatt, David Vaughan and Ben Burgess can recover; some decent training sessions will take place; and – most importantly of all – the groundsman can lay his hands on some quick-growing grass seed.

The pitch is abysmal and on Saturday made it nigh on impossible for any of the players to get their foot on the ball and play their natural game.

Even Charlie Adam, a talented midfielder who is used to the bowling green-like playing surface at Ibrox, was reduced to humping it forward in the direction of DJ Campbell. It was the only way to play. Anyone who dared try to dribble was invariably dispossessed by the pitch.

It led to a pretty poor contest against Southampton, which ended with the right result.

Blackpool had the better of the opening period, the visitors had the upper hand thereafter.

In the end – and bearing in mind he had just witnessed Southampton's Andrew Surman curl a stoppage time free-kick against the base of the post – Tony Parkes declared himself happy with a point.

But when he watches a DVD of the game today he will surely be privately kicking himself at a chance lost.

Pool looked to be cruising at the break and really should have been at least two goals to the good.

They had a glorious chance at the start of the second half too, Campbell – who, in theory, should have been full of confidence after winning and converting an earlier penalty – breaking clean through but making the slightly odd decision to lob the keeper from 18 yards.

I say odd because the keeper was still on his line. End result, the simplest of saves and a bad miss, though in fairness Campbell held his hands up and admitted as much after the game.

After that the game descended into the scrappiest of affairs, which suited Southampton and allowed them to get a foothold in the game, resulting eventually in a goal that owed much to perseverance from the impressive David McGoldrick.

A shame Pool couldn't win because Southampton are certainly not what you could class a strong team. They looked horribly shaky at the back, which is good because the Saints are one of those sides Pool want below them at the end of the season.

But while it was a missed opportunity to get within touching distance of safety, no one can grumble too much at a happy period which has seen the Seasiders go four games unbeaten and take eight points from 12.

Confidence is back and the squad, with the additions of Wade Small and Alan Mahon, is looking strong at just the right time of the campaign.
If Pool can add a frontman (and with two weeks to do it, what better time? ) then optimism should be high going into the final, crucial half dozen games.

The break should do them good. It's been a punishing schedule of late and perhaps that contributed to the second half display here. A few individuals certainly looked a little battle-weary towards the climax.

There will be no excuse for that come the visit of Plymouth.

Mind you, Parkes freshened up his team for this one, making three changes from the side which had won at Barnsley.

Rob Edwards came in for the injured Danny Coid (which meant Alex Baptiste switched to right back), while Brett Ormerod replaced Nick Blackman and Alan Mahon was handed a debut at the expense of the unlucky Joe Martin.

The action actually started before kick-off, with the tributes to Alan Suddick quite rightly dominating proceedings.

It was moving, even for someone like myself who had never seen Suddick in action, and the spectators at Bloomfield Road – including the Southampton fans – responded excellently, the applause ringing on for several minutes as PA announcer Tony Parr read out a lengthy tribute.

When the action did get under way it was Blackpool, perhaps spurred on by the emotion of the occasion, who went on the front foot.

Mahon looked useful, or at least he did after his first touch when he passed the ball straight to an opposition player. "He'll fit straight in here," remarked one observer, a little cruelly.

The breakthrough arrived on 20 minutes, when Mahon did well to close down a defensive clearance and the ball looped back into the Southampton penalty area.

Campbell, always alert and sensing an opportunity, was felled by centre back Jan-Paul Saeijs as he went for the ball. Ref Dave Foster pointed straight to the spot.

"A ridiculous penalty", was the verdict of Southampton boss Mark Wotte, and it did seem a bit soft.

However, Campbell later swore blind there was contact and who are we to doubt him? Whatever, he picked himself up and rammed home his sixth Pool goal, and his second from the penalty spot – after also converting from 12 yards in the 1-0 win at Crystal Palace in January.

Four minutes later and almost a contender for goal of the season...
Edwards' 50-yard pass, Campbell latched onto it on the left of the penalty area and chipped the ball into the centre. Ormerod, who had sprinted 30 yards, connected with a flying, diving header, only to see keeper Kelvin Davis spoil things by pulling off the save. Ormerod was gutted not to score against his old club.

Davis made an even better stop just before half time after another smashing Seasiders move. Baptiste found Southern on the right, and from the cross Campbell produced a spectacular bicycle kick which Davis clawed away.

All the while there were good moments and half chances for Pool, Campbell and Small – the latter very impressive, though without finding the final ball – getting into promising positions but failing to convert.

The Seasiders themselves had the odd scare, not least when McGoldrick, always difficult to pick up in his position at the head of a diamond-shaped midfield four, miskicked with the goal at his mercy from 10 yards.

But they were generally dominating and continued it at the start of the second period, Campbell fluffing his one-on-one opportunity and Small powering a shot wide from a tight angle.

But the visitors were improving, grinding Pool down, and it was little surprise when McGoldrick struck, bustling his way into the area and turning Stephen Crainey before poking a low shot past Paul Rachubka.

After that, there was little of note, with the pitch getting worse and good football non-existent.

Crainey beat the crossbar with a free-kick and, at the death, Surman rattled the post with his dead ball effort.

But in the end honours even and rightly so.

However, this was a chance lost and although Pool shouldn't live to regret it, they will still feel a little disappointed at the failure to rack up what would have been their first back-to-back home victories of the season.