Blackpool 1-0 Charlton: Five things we learned

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Blackpool got what they deserved

They might have left it late, but no can deny Blackpool were worthy winners last night. The Seasiders dominated proceedings from start to finish, enjoyed the lion's share of possession (57:43), had 20 shots on goal to Charlton's nine and won a mammoth 16 corners to the Addick's one. Any neutral watching would have struggled to figure out which side was gunning for the play-offs and which one was, until yesterday, struggling down at the wrong end of the table. As the fourth official signalled for four minutes added time, it seemed as though Blackpool would be forced to settle for a disappointing point. It wouldn't have been the worst result in the world, Charlton are only five points off the top six after all, but the Blackpool players deserved more for their efforts. They were the only side even attempting to win it, but it looked as though it was going to be the same old story as their end product was once again found wanting as a glut of chances came and went. That was until the first minute of stoppage time when skipper Ryan drilled home into the far corner in the first minute of injury time to hand Blackpool a vital three points.

Winless home run is finally at an end

Gary Bowyer will be delighted he will no longer have to fend off weekly questions about Blackpool's winless home run that had seen them go without a victory at Bloomfield Road in over five months. That run is now at an end and, as often proves to be the case with the old adage about London buses, I wouldn't be at all surprised if Blackpool backed it up with a second consecutive win against Southend United this Saturday. It was always a bit of a strange spell that didn't tell the whole story. It was a run that lasted 10 games and included five defeats and five draws. The majority of those defeats were by one-goal margins and the draws were, on the whole, games they ought to have won. For the duration of Blackpool's run, they weren't playing badly at all. It was just a case of not putting sides to bed when chances came their way and being punished for individual mistakes. Speaking post-match, Bowyer stressed the need for a clinical touch in front of goal but that's not always going to be possible with the sparse resources at his disposal. They can't go out and buy a Bradley Dack or loan an Adam Armstrong, and those two players were the difference between a 0-0 draw at Ewood Park on Saturday and, on paper, a heavy 3-0 defeat.

Best wishes to Nathan Delfouneso

In a touching tribute, the players dedicated last night's win to Delfouneso after the Blackpool forward was stretchered off the pitch after a nasty-looking collision of heads with Charlton's Lewis Page. Other than a slight motion of his leg, Delfouneso was largely unmoved for the duration of the seven minutes in which he was treated on the pitch. He was immediately rushed to hospital and as yet, we have no update on his condition. It was one of those collisions where, as soon as the two players crashed into each other in mid-air, you knew it was going to be a bad one. So did the crowd. Gary Bowyer thought Page should have been sent off for his role in the challenge, but that would have been harsh. He was also furious referee Trevor Kettle failed to even award his side a free kick, instead opting to restart play with a drop ball. There was no intent from either player and it was just one of those accidental collisions that happen from time to time when you get two players going in for an honest 50-50 challenge. With Kelvin Mellor already out for at least a couple of weeks with an ankle injury, Bowyer hopes Delfouneso's knock isn't as bad as first feared. Let's hope for positive news.

Did Charlton even have a game plan?

For a side supposedly in contention for the League One play-offs, I expected a lot more from Charlton. I don't want to take anything away from Blackpool's performance because they were by far the better side and, on another day had they take their chances, could have easily won 3 or 4-0. But the Addicks were the most unadventurous side I've seen at Bloomfield Road this season and didn't even try and win the game. They set out their stall early on, happy to sit back and soak up the pressure in a bid to frustrate to the Seasiders. They managed that, to an extent, but that was more to do with Blackpool's wastefulness in front of goal rather than their own solid defending. Most sides who employ those tactics at least try and have a go on the counter attack - but they couldn't even manage that. Aside from a five-minute spell in the 12 minutes of first-half stoppage time, I'm honestly struggling to recall any prolonged spell of pressure they had. That's pitiful for a side as good as Charlton. Yes they have injuries, but they were facing a side without a win at home in almost half a year - and they didn't even try and win the game? That's embarrassing and I have sympathy for the 264 Charlton fans who made the long journey on a Tuesday night. They chanted "we want our money back" before booing their players off the pitch at the end. All is not well at The Valley.

The Seasiders are looking up

It's fair to say the league table looks a lot more rosy now. Last night's win saw Blackpool climb up to the lofty position of 14th while stretching the gap to the bottom four to a healthy seven points in the process. They take on the team directly above them on Saturday, in Southend, a side who are only one point ahead. All of a sudden, after months of relegation fears, Blackpool are on the cusp of the top half of the table again. With everything going on behind the scenes at the club, that's a wonderful achievement from Bowyer and his players. But nothing is sewn up yet. Pool will be looking for a positive result on Saturday before they make the trip to Milton Keynes the following week. MK are currently third from bottom in League One but enjoyed an important 3-2 win against Rotherham United last night, a victory that cuts the gap to Northampton in 20th to four points. Win that game, or at least avoid defeat, and Blackpool can surely start planning for another season in the third tier of English football.