Blackpool fans turn on Michael Appleton as Wigan Athletic condemn 10-man Seasiders to FOURTH straight defeat

Blackpool had to play for 73 minutes with a man down after Marvin Ekpiteta was shown a straight red early into the game.

Despite the disadvantage, Michael Appleton’s side deservedly took the lead through Gary Madine’s superb volley.

But Wigan hit back in the second-half with two goals, one direct from a corner from James McClean and the other from Tilt right at the death.

It piles pressure on Appleton, who was targeted with chants of “you’re getting sacked in the morning”, ahead of the one-month break for the World Cup.

Callum Connolly came straight back into the Blackpool line-up after serving his one-match suspension.

The right-back was one of three changes from the 3-0 defeat to Middlesbrough in midweek.

Rhys Williams came into the side in place of the injured James Husband, while Shayne Lavery replaced CJ Hamilton to make his first start since the Sheffield United game.

Jordan Thorniley missed out once again due to concussion protocol, while Jordan Gabriel (knee), Kevin Stewart (metatarsal), Liam Bridcutt (hamstring), Lewis Fiorini (hamstring), Keshi Anderson (hamstring) and Jake Beesley (fractured foot) all remain injured.

Ian Poveda is left out of the Blackpool squad altogether while youth-team midfielder Tayt Trusty is named among the substitutes.

Former Seasider Curtis Tilt started for Wigan, who were led by interim boss Rob Kelly following Leam Richardson’s recent sacking.

The first opportunity of the game fell Blackpool’s way as they attacked the packed out away end in the first-half.

It came from an unlikely source as Marvin Ekpiteta, who scored on his last visit to the DW, headed over from Charlie Patino’s cross.

The opening exchanges were otherwise dull, although the game did have a flow to it thanks to referee Andy Davies, who was in a particularly lenient mood, letting a lot of potential fouls go.

Blackpool came within a whisker of edging their noses in front in the 13th minute when Sonny Carey nodded the ball into the path of Gary Madine, who took a touch to settle himself before firing just wide on the turn.

But Blackpool’s relatively bright start all came crashing down four minutes later when they were reduced to 10 men.

Marvin Ekpiteta was the man to be shown his marching orders after being shown a straight red card - the second time he has been dismissed this season.

The centre-back showed hesitancy in failing to clear a ball allowing Charlie Wyke to nip the ball away from him. Ekpiteta immediately brought him down and, adjudging the defender to be the last man, the man in charge opted to send him off.

Appleton and his backroom staff deliberated whether to make a change but with no real defensive options on the bench other than Luke Garbutt, a left-back, and young Trusty, the Seasiders opted to play on with Kenny Dougall partnering Rhys Williams.

To the visitors’ credit, they responded really well to the setback and showed no signs of wanting to sit back and soak up pressure. If anything, they were the side that looked more likely to open the scoring.

Shayne Lavery looked to surge through on the Wigan goal but former Seasider Tilt, who had earlier hooked over at the other end with an ambitious overhead kick, came across to thwart him.

A minute later though, the packed out away end was sent absolutely delirious as the 10 men of Blackpool took the lead.

It was an absolutely stunning finish to boot, as Gary Madine chested the ball down before volleying high into the roof of the net.

The striker was clearly brimming with confidence because a few moments later he tried his luck from all of 30 yards, despite having options either side of him, but he was unable to keep down his long-range effort which flew high into the away end.

The Seasiders had to do some defending during the final stages of the first-half but it was all relatively comfortably, with Wigan playing the ball amongst each other in front of them with no chances arising as a result.

There were no changes for either side at half-time, but there was a change of referee as fourth official replaced Davies for an unspecified reason.

Blackpool continued to look relatively comfortable at the start of the second-half, but nine minutes in Wigan levelled out of nowhere.

It was an extremely soft goal to concede, as James McClean’s corner went through a sea of bodies before nestling in the far corner of Maxwell’s net.

Having copped some abuse from the away end, McClean predictably celebrated in front of the Blackpool supporters.

The away side were lucky not to fall behind on the hour mark when Wigan threatened from another corner. This time, Maxwell punched straight to Graeme Shinnie who fired narrowly over.

It continued to be one-way traffic as the half wore on with Wigan committing more and more men forwards, while Blackpool lacked an out ball with Madine isolated up top on his own.

With 20 minutes remaining, Blackpool threatened for the first time in the second-half as Lavery charged down a poor pass out from the back. But Wigan’s defenders got back quickly to force the ball behind.

Blackpool soon settled back into their organised defensive shape, which frustrated the visitors who were struggling to create anything of note, other than a header from substitute Josh Magennis which flew comfortably over the bar.

But just as Blackpool looked to be holding on, up stepped Curtis Tilt to win the game for the home side two minutes from the end.

Blackpool remained far too deep after partially clearing a corner, allowing Tendayi Darikwa to deliver a ball into the danger area for Tilt to head home.

The goal and late substitution of CJ Hamilton for Patino, Blackpool’s only change of the game, sparked chants of “you’re getting sacked in the morning” from the away end.

TEAMS

Wigan: Jones, Edmonds-Green, Whatmough (Bennett), Tilt, Darikwa, Naylor, Power, Shinnie, McClean, Lang (Fletcher), Wyke (Magennis)

Subs not used: Tickle, Cousins, Edwards, Aasgaard

Blackpool: Maxwell, Connolly, Ekpiteta, Williams, Thompson, Dougall, Patino (Hamilton), Carey, Lavery, Yates, Madine

Subs not used: Grimshaw, Garbutt, Trusty, Ward, Wright, Corbeanu

Referee: Andy Davies