Blackpool 6-1 Birmingham City: Jake Beesley enjoys dream first start as Seasiders claim biggest win of the season

The striker netted twice as the Seasiders put a horrendous Birmingham City to the sword in clinical fashion.

CJ Hamilton and Kenny Dougall were also on the scoresheet as Neil Critchley’s side got back to winning ways in emphatic fashion, having previously endured a run of five games without tasting three points.

A near-perfect Easter Monday encounter was topped off when Jerry Yates came off the bench to claim his first goal in 16 games, before Callum Connolly added gloss with a sixth with the final kick of the game.

The game was played out in front of Blackpool’s highest attendance of the season of 13,993, topping the previous chart-topper - the game against Nottingham Forest by seven.

Critchley handed a first start to Jake Beesley as he made four changes from Good Friday’s late defeat to West Brom.

The striker, who has only had eight minutes of football since signing from Rochdale during the January transfer window, replaced Gary Madine in the starting line-up.

Elsewhere, Richard Keogh returned from illness to reclaim his spot alongside Marvin Ekpiteta at centre-back, as Jordan Thorniley dropped down to the bench.

Callum Connolly slotted in at right-back, filling the vacancy left by Jordan Gabriel who suffered another hamstring injury at the Hawthorns.

Keshi Anderson partnered Kenny Dougall in the centre of midfield, while Charlie Kirk and CJ Hamilton provided the width as Josh Bowler dropped out of the side again.

Dan Grimshaw, Luke Garbutt, Dujon Sterling, Kevin Stewart, Grant Ward and Sonny Carey all remain on the sidelines.

The game kicked off in front of a bumper crowd at a sun-kissed Bloomfield Road, with the away side roared on by an away following of 3,300 fans.

They were silenced as early as the third minute, when Beesley capped off a dream first start for the club with his first goal.

It was all started by Shayne Lavery, who produced a sublime turn on the halfway line before setting CJ Hamilton free down the right.

The winger turned his man inside out before pulling the ball back into the centre, where Beesley got across his man inside the six-yard box before slotting home past Zach Jeacock.

Beesley could well have grabbed a second in the seventh minute when he was almost picked out with another cross from a wide position, this time from Charlie Kirk on the left.

Blackpool have lacked a ruthless streak in recent weeks, but you wouldn’t have noticed on this occasion as they doubled their lead in the 14th minute.

Hamilton, the creator of the opener, was found in space by a sublime crossfield ball from Kenny Dougall, which allowed the winger to beat his man with ease before cutting inside and unleashing a low, drilled effort which beat Jeacock at his near post.

The goal was a timely one, as a minute later - Bloomfield Road rose to a man to pay tribute to Billy Ayre on the game that marks the 20th year of his tragic passing.

“Billy Ayre’s tangerine army” was the chant that rang around the ground, while his family - invited to watch the game as the club’s invited guests - watched on from hospitality.

As bad as Birmingham were defensively, and they truly were horrendous, they still offered a threat in attack.

Thankfully Chris Maxwell was on hand to make two important stops, the first from a Troy Deeney header and the second from Onel Hernandez’ effort, which crept through the legs of Richard Keogh.

Marvin Ekpiteta missed the chance to score for a third game running as beheaded over the bar at the back post from Charlie Kirk’s cross following a well-worked corner.

Kirk and Hamilton were looking dangerous every time they were fed the ball in wide positions, the former doing well to launch a lightning quick counter where he played in Lavery, who would have been in if it wasn’t for a last-ditch sliding challenge from Marc Roberts.

While you have to factor in the state of the opposition, this was the best Blackpool had performed in possession of the ball for some time.

They remained calm and composed, working the ball from back to front with ease and pulling opponents out of position across the park.

Further goals were there for the taking and lo and behold, a third came five minutes before the interval when Dougall was left completely unmarked to head home unopposed inside the six-yard box.

Keshi Anderson, providing a dynamic display in central midfield, carried out his defensive duties to deny Deeney on the stroke of half-time, hooking a leg around the striker to deny Birmingham a goal back.

Despite the beleaguered away side making a change at the interval, the second-half continued in the same vein - with Blackpool looking like scoring every time they ventured forward.

Hamilton had a shot blocked in the opening seconds before blazing over after Birmingham lived dangerously, allowing the ball to bounce around in their box.

Saying that, Maxwell was forced into a couple of saves in quick succession, beating Lyle Taylor’s effort behind for a corner before claiming Ryan Woods’ long-range attempt at the second time of asking.

It was only a matter of time until Blackpool’s fourth goal arrived, it was just a case of who was getting it.

It turned out to be a second for Beesley, who capped off a dream first start by steering home into an empty net after Callum Connolly’s close-range shot had been spilled into his path.

Anger began to boil over front he away end, with the game forced to be temporarily halted on the hour mark when stewards had to deal with blue smoke bombs lobbed onto the pitch from the away end.

“You’re not fit to wear the shirt” and “we want our club back” were the chants from the East Stand, meanwhile.

Their ire was tempered only a little bit when their side pulled a goal back a few moments later, Ivan Sunjic slotting home into an empty net after Hernandez had been set free down the left.

Critchley made his first change in the 69th minute, replacing the tireless Lavery with Jerry Yates - who was given a great opportunity to claim a long-awaited goal, having not found the back of the net since Boxing Day.

Beesley came within a whisker of completing a memorable hat-trick 14 minutes from time when he directed a header onto the post from a Dougall free-kick.

It proved to be his last action of the game, as he was replaced by Gary Madine shortly afterwards and given a deserved standing ovation as he left the field.

Madine soon made an impact on the game, winning Blackpool a penalty after being wrestled to the ground from a corner.

It presented Yates with a priceless opportunity to get among the goals, sending the keeper the wrong way to make it 5-1.

The Seasiders came within inches of adding a SIXTH in stoppage-time when Dougall rattled the crossbar with an absolute howitzer from 30 yards.

A sixth did eventually arrive with the final kick of the game, as Callum Connolly curled home a 25-yard free-kick to send Bloomfield Road into raptures.

TEAMS

Blackpool: Maxwell, Connolly, Ekpiteta, Keogh, Husband, Dougall, Anderson, Kirk, Hamilton, Lavery (Yates), Beesley (Madine)

Subs not used: Moore, Thorniley, James, Virtue, Bowler

Birmingham: Jeacock, Pedersen, Roberts, Gordon, Graham (Colin), Woods, James, Sunjic, Hernandez, Taylor, Deeney (Hogan)

Subs not used: Trueman, Bacuna, Bela, Jutkiewicz, Hall

Referee: Tim Robinson

Attendance: 13,993