Blackpool 3-2 Hull City: CJ Hamilton scores at the death as Seasiders beat league leaders in pulsating clash

CJ Hamilton’s last-gasp stoppage-time goal gave Blackpool a dramatic victory against league leaders Hull City.

The winger drilled home in the third minute of added-on time to seal Blackpool’s sixth win from their last eight league games, closing the gap to the League One play-offs in the process.

The Seasiders had only been pegged back minutes earlier, Reece Burke heading home in the 89th minute to make it 2-2.

That’s after Jerry Yates and Keshi Anderson had earlier found the back of the net to seal an impressive turnaround from Neil Critchley’s side, who had gone a goal down in the first-half courtesy of Mallik Wilks’ effort.

The Seasiders, playing their eighth game in just 24 days, were well worthy of their win, inflicting Hull’s first back-to-back defeats of the campaign.

Neil Critchley opted to make five changes from Saturday's goalless draw against Oxford United.

Ollie Turton, Luke Garbutt, Ethan Robson, Keshi Anderson and Jerry Yates came into the team. Jordan Gabriel, James Husband, Grant Ward, Ben Woodburn and Gary Madine were the five to make way.

Dan Ballard was the only injury absentee, the Arsenal loanee continuing to recover from a hamstring injury he suffered after the recent win against Portsmouth. But the centre-back is close to a return and could even come back into contention for Saturday's trip to Accrington Stanley.

Jack Sims, Teddy Howe, Demetri Mitchell, Jordan Thorniley, MJ Williams, Grant Ward, Bez Lubala and Oliver Sarkic were all left out.

Hull, the league leaders prior to kick-off, made four changes from their surprise 1-0 defeat to struggling Shrewsbury Town at the weekend.

The Tigers clearly wanted a reaction from Saturday’s disappointment as they made a quick start to this encounter.

Having won a corner inside the opening 90 seconds, defender Jacob Greaves peeled off his marker to send a downward header into the turf and wide of the Blackpool goal.

The Seasiders took a while to get settled, as they struggled with Hull’s intensity and closing down in the opening exchanges.

Pool threatened for the first time on 12 minutes as CJ Hamilton made a threatening run in-behind Hull’s backline.

While the winger was crowded out, he laid the ball off to Keshi Anderson whose shot took a heavy deflection, looping up towards the top corner where keeper Matt Ingram bizarrely fumbled the ball just wide.

Critchley’s side took confidence from this early effort and came agonisingly close to taking the lead a few moments later.

Thanks to some good work from Sullay Kaikai, Pool worked the ball to left-back Luke Garbutt, who found himself in some space down the left. He took a touch to set himself before drilling inches wide of the far post from the angle, with Ingram rooted to the spot.

At the other end, Pool were given a big let-off when, much to their frustration, James Scott was adjudged to have beaten the offside trap to find himself in acres of space and through on goal. But the Hull man’s touch lets him down and Maxwell was able to collect.

The two sides continued to exchange some good chances, with Pool going close once again midway through the first half.

Garbutt’s corner was partially cleared to Kaikai on the edge of the box, who opted to work the ball back into the box with a first-time cross.

Anderson timed his run perfectly to meet the ball in, side-footing back across the face of goal where the ball took a wicked deflection towards goal, only for Ingram to recover and claw the ball off the goalline.

His Blackpool counterpart Maxwell was also called into action, saving well from Scott’s long-range effort after the keeper’s mistimed clearance had fallen straight to Hull midfielder Richie Smallwood.

With the game opening up, the Seasiders broke at speed, countering with four men against three only for Hamilton to see his effort well blocked.

The deadlock was eventually broken seven minutes before the interval and, unfortunately for Pool, it came the way of the Tigers.

Winger Mallik Wilks had the time and presence to control Elder’s left-wing cross before hooking beyond Maxwell.

The goal, the first Blackpool have conceded since the defeat at Doncaster Rovers last month, comes after playing over eight hours of football without letting a goal in.

Blackpool came close to levelling just four minutes after suffering the setback, only for Hamilton to be thwarted by Ingram.

It came after Kaikai had taken a clever touch down the left, before playing a reverse pass into the onrushing Hamilton who was smothered by the Hull keeper as he attempted to dink the ball home.

Hull’s lead lasted just six minutes, with the Seasiders levelling things up a minute before the half-time break.

Jerry Yates was the man to get the goal, the striker sliding in at the back post to fire high into the roof of the net for his sixth goal in his last 10 appearances.

It came after Garbutt was found in acres of space down the left once again, the full-back firing a low ball across the face of goal which Yates slammed home emphatically.

The second-half began in a similarly end-to-end fashion, with Hull coming out of the blocks quickly and forcing Maxwell into a flying, acrobatic save from Scott’s curling effort.

With Kaikai getting short change out of former Fleetwood Town man Lewie Coyle, Critchley changed it on the hour-mark by replacing him with Gary Madine - which saw the Seasiders revert to the 4-4-2 system that has previously served them so well.

The move paid dividends straight away, with Madine being involved in the thick of the action as Pool edged their noses in front just six minutes later.

Maxwell started off a lightning-quick counter, having the presence of mind to play a quick ball up to Madine, who let the ball pass him by allowing Anderson to surge through on goal, where he produced a clinical low finish across the keeper and into the bottom corner.

Pool faced an onslaught of pressure following the goal, as Hull looked to get back on level terms instantly - just as the home side had done in the opening period.

Blackpool were denied by the woodwork twice in a matter of seconds 15 minutes from time as they hunted for a third goal to put the game to bed.

Garbutt’s free-kick caused havoc in the Hull box, Josh Magennis inadvertently heading the ball back towards his own goal where it bobbled onto the post before Marvin Ekpiteta was also denied by the woodwork on the follow-up.

Madine continued to make a real difference, the striker involved once again as he picked out Hamilton in the Hull box. The winger laid it off for Yates who could only blaze over.

Blackpool were managing the game well and appeared to be seeing out the game fairly comfortably, but that didn’t prove to be the case.

Hull grabbed an equaliser in the final minute of normal time, Reece Burke directing a header beyond the desperate dive of Maxwell - who managed to get a hand to it - and into the top corner.

Pool weren’t to be deterred though and almost restored their lead immediately, Hamilton being denied at the back post after being left by himself.

But the winger atoned for the miss in the third minute of stoppage time, drilling beyond Ingram with an emphatic low effort to win the game for the Seasiders in the most dramatic of circumstances.

TEAMS

Blackpool: Maxwell, Turton, Ekpiteta, Gretarsson, Garbutt, Dougall, Robson (Virtue), Anderson, Hamilton, Kaikai (Madine), Yates (Woodburn)

Subs not used: Fojticek, Gabriel, Husband, Kemp

Hull: Ingram, Coyle, Burke, Smallwood, Elder, Docherty, Wilks, Scott (Lewis-Potter), Slater (Adelakun, Greaves, Eaves (Magennis)

Subs not used: Long, Batty, Emmanuel, McLoughlin

Referee: Ben Speedie

Thanks for reading. If you value what we do and are able to support us, a digital subscription is just £1 for your first month. Try us today by clicking here