AFC Blackpool 2 Lower Breck 1: Baird's 'brilliant' Mechs stun league leaders

AFC Blackpool celebrate against Lower Breck Picture: ADAM GEE

Manager Martin Baird hailed a “brilliant” performance by his AFC Blackpool side to defeat league leaders Lower Breck 2-1 at the Mechanics Ground on Tuesday.

The Liverpool side had been beaten only once previously in North West Counties first division north this season but Baird felt his side were worthy of winning by a wider margin.

Jamie Thomas went close with an early free-kick and at the other end Alex Cameron saved when Stephen Milne broke through for the visitors.

In the 11th minute, AFC took a lead they would never lose as Rob Bromley’s excellent corner was headed in at the near post by Ryan Vaughan.

Possession was shared but Lower Breck failed to trouble the Mechanics for most of the first half, whereas Bromley continued to pose problems and saw an effort saved.

Home keeper Cameron was busier in the second half, his best save keeping Luke Duffy’s powerful effort out of the bottom right corner of his net after an hour.

AFC Blackpool made it 2-0 after 66 minutes, when Conah Bishop was fouled just outside the box and Jamie Milligan scored with a terrific free-kick shortly after coming on.

Four minutes later, Mechs almost added a third when Vaughan’s shot was cleared off the line.

An assistant had to take over from the injured referee for the final 10 minutes as a spectator volunteered to run the line.

Lower Breck pulled one back in the 85th minute, when Milne pounced on a poor back-pass.

But Blackpool were not to be denied a win which lifts them to ninth ahead of Saturday’s home clash with Bacup Borough and Baird said: “The boys are delighted and they deserved it. From minute one all the way through to the 90th I thought we were brilliant.

“That’s how good they can be but we should be doing that every week, not just turning it on against the top six.

“A 2-1 win doesn’t reflect the game for me – it was at least a 3-0 or 4-0 for us. We’ve deserved every plaudit we get tonight – its whether we can build on it.”

Blackpool: Cameron, Bishop, Dawson, Vaughan, Penswick, Pickering, Bromley (Milligan 65), Robinson, Duffield (McKenna 65), Thomas (Buchan 71), McClean.