Blackpool 2-1 Southend United: Armand Gnanduillet's brace secures long-overdue win to relieve pressure on Simon Grayson

Armand Gnanduillet’s brace helped secure Blackpool a long-overdue win to relieve some pressure on manager Simon Grayson.
Armand Gnanduillet scored his 16th and 17th goals of the seasonArmand Gnanduillet scored his 16th and 17th goals of the season
Armand Gnanduillet scored his 16th and 17th goals of the season
Read More
Blackpool v Southend United LIVE: Build-up, team news and action from must-win c...

The 17-goal striker netted in either half as the Seasiders won for the first time in 11 outings, bringing an end to their losing run.

Relegation-threatened Southend, who have only won three games all season, did make life uncomfortable for the Seasiders late on when Stephen McLaughlin reduced the arrears with a long-range piledriver.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But the men in tangerine held on for a vital three points, claiming their first league win in over two months - their last one coming against Fleetwood Town on December 7.

Grayson opted to make just one change to the side that lost 2-1 at Oxford United last week.

In came Taylor Moore for his Blackpool debut against the side he played with on loan last season.

Out went Jordan Thorniley, the January transfer window signing dropping to the bench after two fairly rusty performances for his new club.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Calum Macdonald returned to the bench after recovering from illness, while the likes of Teddy Howe, Sean Scannell and Mark Howard were left out.

James Husband (heel), Ryan Edwards (ankle) and Sullay Kaikai (groin/abductor) all remain sidelined with injuries.

The Seasiders signalled their intent early on, starting the game on the front foot while being roared on by the passionate North Stand.

The deadlock was almost broken after just three minutes, Armand Gnanduillet having a close-range header cleared off the line.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It came after a Blackpool corner caused confusion in the Southend box, Mark Oxley failing to deal with Ben Heneghan’s back-post header allowing Gnanduillet the chance to prod a header towards goal - only for defender Tom Clifford to hook away.

Pool, lining up in a more traditional 4-4-2 formation, continued to play with more intensity in the early stages, Connor Ronan, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Marc Bola combining well down the left.

Southend’s first venture forward resulted in their first shot of the afternoon, Chris Maxwell - on his home debut - getting down to his left to make a comfortable save from Sam Barratt’s long-range effort.

After a brief lull, the Seasiders came agonisingly close to producing that early goal they desperately needed to settle the nerves.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It came following some good build-up play with Gary Madine and Bola, the latter’s cross deflecting off Southend defender and Mark Milligan and just wide of the far post.

At the other end, Milligan was against involved as he rifled a volley towards the top corner which had Maxwell scrambling, but fortunately for Pool it flew narrowly over the bar.

This saw the Shrimpers grow in confidence, Sol Campbell’s men coming within a whisker of taking the lead when Stephen McLaughlin fizzed a low shot just wide from the angle.

The life seemed to sap out of the Seasiders at this point and Grayson’s men really ought to have gone a goal down on 34 minutes.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Had that been the case, it would have been a horror moment for Ollie Turton, who allowed a hopeful long ball slip under his foot allowing McLaughlin the chance to go one-on-one with Maxwell.

Thankfully McLaughlin’s chipped effort was wayward, allowing Blackpool fans to breath a huge sigh of relief.

Southend were made to pay for that miss as, just three minutes later, the Seasiders finally made the breakthrough - and boy did they need it.

While Blackpool made 12 new signings during the January transfer window, with six of them on show in this team, it was that familiar combination of Liam Feeney and Armand Gnanduillet that paid off yet again.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Feeney did well to loft a cross into the six-yard box, where Gnanduillet had the simple task of heading home his 16th goal of the season.

Pool saw out the remainder of the opening half with relative ease, before coming on strong at the start of the second half.

A Feeney cross just eluded Madine inside the six-yard box before Gnanduillet curled just wide of the top corner on his weak foot after manoeuvring some space for himself inside the Southend box.

But Pool had to remain alert at the other end, Sam Mantom seeing a powerful drive well pushed away by Maxwell.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Grayson opted to change it on the hour-mark, replacing Madine with Nathan Delfouneso to add a bit of pace to Blackpool’s forward line.

The change paid dividends instantly, the forward winning the Seasiders a penalty after being scythed down by goalkeeper Mark Oxley.

Following a lengthy chat with skipper Jay Spearing, Gnanduillet plucked up the courage to take the match-ball despite missing his last penalty in the recent FA Cup game at Reading.

But the Frenchman resisted the urge to chip his spot kick, sending the keeper the wrong way with a convincing finish into the bottom corner for his 17th of the campaign.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Two almost became three a few minutes later as the confidence began to flow through the Blackpool team.

The ever-impressive Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, on his home debut, slipped in Feeney with a sublime ball, the winger’s pullback almost being turned in by Delfouneso.

Dewsbury-Hall then came close himself, arrowing a 25-yard effort narrowly wide of the top corner.

At this point it appeared just a matter of how many goals Pool would rack up, but on 72 minutes they were pegged back as Southend produced a goal out of nothing.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

McLaughlin was the man to get his name on the scoresheet, powering a superb 30-yard effort into the top corner which even earned the applause from Blackpool fans.

It set up a nervy final 20 minutes or so, although Pool ought to have made life more comfortable for themselves when Gnanduillet squandered the chance to clinch his hat-trick.

The striker beat keeper Oxley with his towering header from Feeney’s right-wing cross, but his effort also flew past the far post and behind.

The Shrimpers hurled a couple of long throws and corners into the Blackpool box in the four minutes of stoppage time, but Pool dealt with them well to cling on to a priceless three points.

TEAMS

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Blackpool: Maxwell, Turton, Heneghan, Moore, Bola, Spearing (Virtue), Ronan (Ward), Dewsbury-Hall, Feeney, Madine (Delfouneso), Gnanduillet

Subs not used: Sims, Thorniley, Macdonald, Nuttall

Southend: Oxley, Bwomono, Milligan, Dieng, McLaughlin, Mantom, Kelman (Rush), Demetriou, Barratt (Goodship), Clifford, Hutchinson (Kinali)

Subs not used: Taylor, Egrbi, Coker, Mitchell-Nelson

Referee: Anthony Backhouse

Attendance: 7,870 (291 Southend)