Blackpool keep survival hopes alive with smash-and-grab Birmingham City win

It was far from pretty as the Seasiders delivered a fairly lacklustre display at St Andrew’s in this must-win encounter.

But Stephen Dobbie’s side were gifted the three points late on thanks to an absolute howler at the back, leading to Ian Poveda tapping home the all-important winner.

It means Blackpool remain second from bottom in the Championship with only two games remaining, but more importantly the gap to safety is now just three points.

Huddersfield Town, the side Blackpool can catch, still have a game in hand to play though.

Blackpool were dealt two big injury blows ahead of kick-off with the news that Keshi Anderson and Jerry Yates were both ruled out.

Yates was missing with a hamstring injury, while Anderson was also absent after suffering a swollen ankle during Blackpool’s midweek defeat to West Brom.

There was better news on the bench as James Husband and midfielder Tom Trybull returned from injury alongside Rob Apter, who was also named among the substitutes.

Interim boss Stephen Dobbie made two changes from the 2-0 defeat to West Brom, with Sonny Carey and Josh Bowler coming in for Anderson and Yates.

It meant Morgan Rogers returned to the number nine role in Yates’ absence.

Marvin Ekpiteta, Charlie Goode, Liam Bridcutt, Kevin Stewart, Tom Trybull, Shayne Lavery, Jake Beesley and Gary Madine remained sidelined through injury.

Luke Garbutt, Dom Thompson and Kenny Dougall were all left out.

Birmingham, meanwhile, made four changes to the side that beat Millwall 1-0 in midweek.

Despite the importance of the game, with Blackpool needing to win to keep their faint survival hopes alive, Dobbie’s men made a sloppy start to the game.

They could have found themselves going a goal down inside five minutes when Dan Grimshaw almost juggled the ball into his own net as he collected Tahith Chong’s harmless shot from the edge of the box.

It didn’t get much better, with the Seasiders completely passive as they allowed Birmingham to waltz through them with ease without as much of a challenge being made.

We had to wait until the 27th minute for Blackpool’s first opening, which came the way of Josh Bowler.

The winger embarked on one of his trademark runs down the right flank before dropping a shoulder and cutting onto his favoured left foot, but could only fire over after creating the space to shoot.

The Seasiders ought to have gone a goal down just after the half-hour mark when the unmarked Kevin Long was left completely on his own at the back post, only to head over from barely a few yards out.

The half ended with the home side going close again as Jobe Bellingham, the brother of Borussia Dortmund and England star Jude, heading just wide at the back post.

Blackpool did at least show some intent at the start of the second-half and could well have broken the deadlock seven minutes after the break.

It followed a defence-splitting flick from Sonny Carey which set Morgan Rogers free but the forward’s teasing ball across the face of the six-yard box went begging.

Just as Pool were beginning to sustain some pressure, they almost found themselves going a goal behind - but they produced two heroic blocks to keep the score level.

First Grimshaw made a superb one-handed save to deny Hannibal Mejbri from barely a few yards out before Jordan Thorniley made a last-ditch goalline block to deny Chong on the rebound.

Ian Poveda, Blackpool’s first change of the afternoon, almost made an instant impact when the ball was teed up to him by Rogers, who had done well to beat his man with an audacious nutmeg.

The loanee then pulled the ball back into Poveda’s path but a defender did well to throw his body in front of his eventual shot.

The Seasiders were in need of something special as the clock slowly but surely ticked towards the final stages. But, out of nowhere, they were given an absolute gift.

Rogers did well to capitalise on an absolute calamity at the back, before showing the required composure to roll the ball across goal for Poveda to tap home into an empty net.

Blackpool had to contend with more injury woes during the final stages as they desperately tried to cling on, with Thorniley forced to hobble off before Poveda - who had only been on the pitch for 20 minutes - was also withdrawn with what appeared to be a knock.

But Dobbie’s side saw out the remaining minutes and seconds with relative ease, defending resolutely and looking the more likely to score the game’s second goal on the counter - with CJ Hamilton going close with a low effort which Etheridge did well to keep out at his near post.

TEAMS

Birmingham: Etheridge, Colin, Roberts, Long (Deeney), Trusty, Bielik (Chang), James (Longelo), Bellingham (Graham), Hannibal (Bacuna), Chong, Jutkiewicz

Subs not used: Jeacock, Dean

Blackpool: Grimshaw, Gabriel, Nelson, Thorniley (Husband), Lyons, Fiorini, Carey (Poveda, Holmes), Patino, Bowler (Connolly), Hamilton, Rogers

Subs not used: Maxwell, Trybull, Apter

Referee: Keith Stroud

Attendance: Not given