Blackpool edged out by Millwall to slump to second defeat in just four days

The Seasiders were much improved from their horror show at Rotherham on Wednesday night but they still weren’t able to claim a positive result in the capital.

Michael Appleton’s men could well live to regret this result giving the home side were far from their best and were there for the taking.

The home support made for a subdued and sometimes anxious atmosphere, with the Millwall fans ready to turn on their team and manager at any moment.

But the men in tangerine were unable to capitalise as they suffered their second defeat on the spin ahead of their two-week international break.

Appleton strongly hinted he would make changes to his side after the midweek horror show at Rotherham and he stuck to his word – although they might not have been the changes many supporters had been anticipating.

Jordan Gabriel was surprisingly dropped from the side as one of three changes alongside Rhys Williams and Ian Poveda.

The three to come into the side were James Husband, for his first league start of the season, alongside Charlie Patino and Shayne Lavery.

It meant the Seasiders kept faith with three at the back despite calls from fans to revert to Appleton’s traditionally favoured 4-3-3 formation.

Callum Wright missed out through injury after dislocating a joint in his leg after slipping during Wednesday night’s game at Rotherham

Gary Madine, meanwhile, served the third and final game of his three-match ban, while Kevin Stewart, Lewis Fiorini, Keshi Anderson and Jake Beesley all remain sidelined by injury.

The game got off to a relatively dull start, but Blackpool were the side asking more questions in the opening exchanges.

Despite that, it was Millwall who created the first opportunity of the afternoon as Zian Flemming flicked a weak header towards the Blackpool goal which Dan Grimshaw was equal to.

On 14 minutes, Blackpool’s weakness dealing with crosses came to the fore yet again as the home side opened the scoring in soft fashion with their first set piece of the game.

Striker Zian Flemming was the man to get the goal with a header from a corner despite Dan Grimshaw’s best efforts to claw the ball away from the goal line.

But unlike Huddersfield, the goal-line technology appeared to work on this occasion with referee Darren Bond signalling for a goal after checking his watch.

It was a real blow for the Seasiders to concede from Millwall’s first corner of the game as the home side had otherwise shown no threat whatsoever.

Blackpool had a half chance of sorts to level when Dom Thompson swung in a cross from the left which Shayne Lavery headed towards goal, but the striker’s effort didn’t have enough power on it and it was straight at the keeper in any case.

Theo Corbeanu almost created another chance for Lavery when he skipped past his marker before embarking on a 50-yard run down the right flank, but his eventual cross was headed clear by the last Millwall defender.

While Blackpool weren’t exactly all over Millwall, they continued to probe the hosts whose supporters were becoming increasingly frustrated despite their lead.

Those frustrations were only amplified just after the half-hour mark when the Seasiders drew themselves level with a goal of real quality.

It started and ended with Charlie Patino, scoring his first in tangerine. But Dom Thompson, James Husband and Jerry Yates were all involved in the intricate build-up.

The men in tangerine worked the ball well from the right to Thompson on the left, whose pullback was cleverly and unselfishly laid off by Yates into the path of Patino who slotted home.

The Millwall fans turned on their side and their manager Gary Rowett in particular straight after the goal and Blackpool smelt blood, almost capitalising immediately when Lavery poked wide at full stretch after being played in by Yates.

Despite being booed off at the break, the home side didn’t make any changes at the break and neither did the Seasiders.

Corbeanu, who was a real handful in the first-half, caused Millwall problems again at the start of the second period, skipping past his marker before showing hesitancy at the crucial moment.

That allowed the Lions to break, resulting in goalscorer Flemming drilling a low and hard effort towards the bottom corner but Grimshaw got down to make the save.

The game finally began to open up a little as Yates and Lavery squandered a chance on the break courtesy of the latter’s bad pass, before Marvin Ekpiteta made a crucial interception at the other end.

Despite their fans being ready to turn at any moment, Millwall could and maybe should have restored their lead on the hour mark.

Marvin Ekpiteta’s skewed clearance landed at the feet of Flemming, who composed himself with a touch before slamming a low effort against the post.

Blackpool weren’t so lucky a few moments later when the Lions did end up getting their noses in front for a second time.

On this occasion Ekpiteta timed his block to perfection, but the ball landed kindly for Benik Afobe who lashed home into the back of the net, giving Grimshaw no chance.

Blackpool, as they did in the first-half, responded well. Firstly, Patino looked to play through Yates only for the pass to be cut out by the final defender, before Corbeanu shot high into the side netting after a marauding run down the right.

Just as a minute’s applause broke out for The Queen on 70 minutes, Millwall squandered a couple of chances in quick succession to put the game to bed.

Firstly, Grimshaw just about dealt with Murray Malone’s low piledriver before Flemming curled wide.

Appleton turned to his bench for a solution as he made a double change, introducing Jordan Gabriel and Ian Poveda for Callum Connolly and, perhaps a little surprisingly, the threatening Yates.

With 15 minutes remaining, Kenny Dougall let fly after combining well with Lavery on the edge of the Millwall box only to volley over the bar.

Blackpool almost gifted the home side a third in calamitous circumstances seven minutes from time when Dom Thompson lazily wafted a leg at a long punt down the pitch, wrongfooting the onrushing Grimshaw. But thankfully the ball bounced wide and behind for a corner.

After what was a subdued game low on quality, it was no surprise there was no great drama or fanfare in the final stages, meaning Blackpool slumped to another defeat without much of a late fight.

We must now endure a two-week break before the Seasiders can put things right against Norwich City at the start of October.

TEAMS

Millwall: Long, Wallace, Cooper, Cresswell, Shackleton, Styles, Mitchell, Malone, Honeyman (McNamara), Flemming, Afobe

Subs not used: Bialkowski, Evans, Burey, Saville, Voglsammer, Bradshaw

Blackpool: Grimshaw, Connolly (Gabriel), Ekpiteta, Thorniley, Husband (Hamilton), Thompson, Dougall, Patino (Carey), Corbeanu, Lavery, Yates (Poveda)

Subs not used: Maxwell, Williams, Garbutt

Referee: Darren Bond

Attendance: 11,463 (515 Blackpool)