Blackpool 1-3 Blackburn Rovers: Championship outfit condemn weakened Seasiders to first pre-season defeat

The forward scored two first-half goals to put Tony Mowbray’s side in control in dreadful conditions at Bloomfield Road.

Pool, playing their fifth friendly of pre-season, pulled a goal back thanks to a confident Matty Virtue strike.

But Blackburn restored their two-goal lead late on through youngster Tyrese Dolan to add further comfort to the scoreline.

Blackpool fielded a considerably weaker line-up than the one we saw perform so well against Premier League side Everton at the weekend.

With Saturday’s Carabao Cup first round tie against Stoke City in mind, Neil Critchley gave a runout to some fringe first-teamers like Jack Sims, Cameron Antwi, Nathan Shaw and Jamie Devitt.

Trialist left-back Demetri Mitchell was handed a start after coming off the bench at half-time on Saturday. Meanwhile, a second mystery trialist was included at centre-back where he partnered Michael Nottingham.

Strikers Joe Nuttall and Gary Madine were both missing, while new signing MJ Williams didn’t feature either. Fellow new arrival Alex Fojticek was named on the bench.

Blackpool lined up in a 4-3-3- system once again, with Nathan Shaw and Liam Feeney flanking forward Oliver Sarkic in attack.

While Pool’s second string made a confident and nippy start in possession, the first opportunity of the evening came the way of the visitors after just two minutes.

Tony Mowbray’s side won the ball back after pressing the Seasiders high up the pitch, granting Ben Brereton the chance to surge through on goal before fizzing a powerful effort just wide of the upright.

The former Nottingham Forest man atoned for that miss just two minutes later when he gave Blackburn an early lead.

The Seasiders were far too passive, allowing Joe Rankin-Costello time and space to curl a cross in from the right which Brereton did well to glance into the far corner after getting across his marker.

Brereton almost added a second soon after, sending a downward header onto the foot of the post after three players were left unmarked at the back post.

Blackpool were at sixes and sevens at the back and were unable to cope with Blackburn’s high press, much like Everton at the weekend.

A sloppy pass from Devitt near Pool’s own box was pounced upon by the visitors, who quickly worked the ball to Armstrong who was presented with a gilt-edged chance to double his side’s lead.

But Jack Sims came motoring out of goal to make an excellent stop to deny the former Newcastle United man.

Rovers were caught out defensively themselves a few moments later as Liam Feeney sprung the offside trap only to produce a disappointing effort straight at keeper Andrew Fisher.

The visitors continued to see plenty of joy in behind Blackpool’s high line as gaps continued to appear throughout the final third.

It seemed just a matter of time until Blackburn added to the scoresheet, but they continued to be wasteful in front of goal, Sims denying Armstrong for a second time with a smart stop with his feet.

Sims was almost left red-faced moments later when an attempted turn in his own box from Michael Nottingham’s short backpass almost went wrong.

Armstrong almost nipped in to steal the ball off him but thankfully Blackpool were able to recover their lines and clear behind for a corner.

While Pool continued to compete well, the gulf in glass was clear when Rovers eventually doubled their lead on the half-hour mark.

It was that man Brereton netting for the second time, dinking beyond Sims and into the far corner after being found by a clever reverse pass from Lewis Holtby.

Blackpool enjoyed a spell of good pressure on the stroke of half time and the purple patch paid off as they pulled a goal back.

Matty Virtue, who came close with a left-footed drive a minute earlier, slammed a shot beyond Fisher after being found by Nottingham.

Having been two goals down a minute earlier, the Seasiders wasted two further opportunities to draw themselves level as Oliver Sarkic shot straight at the keeper before Nottingham looped a header onto the roof of the net.

Critchley made a trio of changes at the half-time break, bringing on new arrival Fojticek alongside Jordan Thorniley and Ben Garrity. Sims, Nottingham and Devitt were the three to make away.

After a quiet opening to the second period, debutant Fojticek did well to race out of his goal and thwart Brereton after Amarii Bell’s ambitious long-range effort almost deflected into his path.

Sarkic, who often found himself isolated up front, was given a rare chance to venture down the right where he carved a shooting opportunity for himself after cutting inside, only to shoot straight at substitute keeper Jordan Eastham from the edge of the box.

At the other end, Joe Rothwell dragged a shot wide of the far post after skipping a couple of challenges.

Nathan Shaw wasted a golden chance to equalise on 70 minutes when a failed clearance fell kindly for him inside the Blackburn box but, after cutting back onto his favoured left foot, the winger could only blaze wastefully over.

Ten minutes later, it was Feeney’s turn to miss another big opportunity as he lobbed over Eastham, who was caught in no man’s land after Feeney had been found by a sublime through-ball from Shaw.

Despite making a raft of changes, Blackburn remained a threat in attack and had chances to extend their lead further, John Buckley seeing a close-range effort blocked away from the danger area.

Youngster Tyrese Dolan made sure of the win for Blackburn two minutes from time when he tapped home into an empty net after robbing Fojticek of the ball.

TEAMS

Blackpool: Sims (Fojticek), Howe, Nottingham (Thorniley), Trialist (Husband), Trialist, Antwi, Virtue (Ward), Devitt (Garrity), Shaw, Feeney, Sarkic

Subs not used: Turton, Ekpiteta, Robson, Anderson, Hamilton, Kaikai, Yates

Blackburn: Fisher (Eastham), Rankin-Costello (Bennett), Bell (Pike), Lenihan (Carter), Wharton (Williams), Travis (Evans), Johnson (Davenport), Holtby (Rothwell), Chapman (Dolan), Brereton (Brennan), Armstrong (Buckley)

Subs not used: Lyons