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Blackpool 0 Plymouth 1 - full match report
IT speaks volumes that the most noteworthy moment in this game happened before it started.
Two journalists in the press box got a little carried away with a friendly argument, which ended with one wiping Worcester Sauce (from the top of his pie, he didn't happen to have a supply in his pocket) on the other guy's face.
The sauce went in his eye, which left the poor journo dancing around with the vigour of Michael Flatley and desperately dabbing himself with a tissue.
He complained that he had to watch the game through one eye.
At the time we felt sorry for him. But he got lucky. It meant he only saw 50 per cent of this match – still about 49 per cent more than was worth witnessing.
It was an awful game, or at least it was from a Blackpool point of view.
Handicapped once again by a truly terrible playing surface, the Seasiders never got going.
There wasn't any period in the contest when they were on top.
Their play was lacklustre and lethargic, rather strange given the fact that the players had just had a two-week break.
And the most frustrating thing of all – what a blown chance it was.
Results elsewhere went well, which meant that three points and reaching the magical 50 mark would have almost seen Pool home and dry in terms of staying up.
As it is, they are not out of it by any stretch of the imagination, especially with games coming up this weekend against two promotion-chasing sides (Reading and our friends from down the road).
Mind you, after this horror show perhaps playing Preston is just what Pool need. At least for the trip to Deepdale they will require no motivation, for they appeared to be lacking it in spades against a dogged but distinctly ordinary Plymouth side.
Quite what Hughie Kelly would have made of it is a mystery.
Kelly, who represented Blackpool in the 1940s and 50s, died last week. There was a minute's silence before the game and a tribute read out.
It described how Kelly played at the top level, in FA Cup Finals, in a team containing Mortensen, Matthews and Perry.
On Saturday those halcyon days seemed an awful long time ago.
Then again we should be careful not to criticise too much.
In the great scheme of things, the Seasiders have had something of a purple patch of late.
Their record over the last five games reads won two, drawn two, lost one. A top-of-the-table side would be relatively happy with that, so no matter how poor this display was, it's important we keep things in perspective.
It didn't help, either, that two vital players were lost to injury.
DJ Campbell got whacked in the 27th minute and hobbled painfully on until succumbing to what was plainly obvious to everyone else and admitting he couldn't continue.
This was a shame, for he was paired alongside Lee Hughes up front. It meant that for the first time in a long time, one felt Pool had two forwards capable of hitting the net. Alas, the partnership never had chance to get going.
Keith Southern, too, had his day cut short, emerging from a 50-50 challenge second best. Even though this usually reliable midfielder wasn't having a match to remember, Pool have to hope his injury isn't serious – he's a key man.
It all amounted to a dismal day, particularly for Parkes, who looked as if he'd aged 10 years when he emerged to face the press afterwards.
No wonder. He'd spent the days before the match preaching the importance of victory. He even said he'd be disappointed with a draw.
Goodness knows what this defeat felt like then. Not pleasant, I'd wager.
It looks, like last season, that it will go down to the wire, which means many more nervy moments before the campaign winds up in Swansea on May 4.
I just hope Pool are safe by then because I wouldn't want them heading to the Liberty Stadium requiring victory. Put it this way, that 6-3 win a couple of years back is unlikely to be repeated.
Against Plymouth, Parkes was handicapped by the loss of a few players from the team which had faced Southampton in the previous outing.
The absence of Wade Small was a particular blow. He gives the team balance, pace and width on the right, hugging the touchline and playing like an old fashioned wideman.
Instead Brett Ormerod had to fill in. He actually did well, but he looked much happier when he switched back to his preferred centre forward role following Campbell's exit.
The cost of losing three right wingers – Small, Gary Taylor-Fletcher and Roy O'Donovan – is beginning to tell.
On the left there was change too. David Vaughan came in for Alan Mahon, who, despite the international break, had failed to recover from a whack on the foot sustained on his debut against the Saints.
The disruption certainly seemed to unsettle the home side for – as I feel I've already been pretty clear about –they were poor from first minute to last.
Lee Hughes, a controversial signing who received a good round of applause from the majority, had two decent curling efforts, one saved, the other beating the post by a fraction. He looked a little short of fitness though.
The best Blackpool chance came in the 40th minute when Ormerod's chip put Alex Baptiste in on the right of the area. His chip fell to Vaughan at the back post but the winger, six yards out, failed to get his shot away and was tackled.
And, yes, this really was the best chance – see what I mean?
There were a couple of disallowed efforts after the break, Charlie Adam penalised for a handball (pity as his finish was thumpingly brilliant) and Ormerod denied a tap-in after Vaughan – who supplied the cross – was flagged offside.
One other half chance, five minutes from time, Ormerod delivering a beauty of a ball in from the left but substitute Ben Burgess, only needing a touch on the ball to score, couldn't quite stretch high enough.
Sixty seconds later Plymouth grabbed the winner.
It came from a corner swung in by Paul Gallagher, on loan from Blackburn and the best player on the pitch by some distance. Left back Gary Sawyer rose highest to send the ball past Paul Rachubka from close range – only the defender's second goal of the season.
In truth Plymouth deserved it.
They had more of the play and the better chances.
Indeed midfielder Karl Duguid should have already scored, when he rose to meet Sawyer's 79th minute cross but – in acres of space – succeeded only in putting his header over the bar.
Pool didn't make the most of their let-off and now have more work to do than they, and their supporters, would like.
The only good news is that they surely can't play as badly as this again.
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Weather for Blackpool
Monday 13 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 3 C to 7 C
Wind Speed: 32 mph
Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 6 C to 8 C
Wind Speed: 28 mph
Wind direction: North west
