Blackpool make it four wins in a row to keep the heat on Championship play-offs - 10 years on from Blackpool's promotion to the Premier League

Over the coming weeks, we’ll be dipping into the archives to bring you STEVE CANAVAN’S Gazette reports from a decade ago on Blackpool’s remarkable journey to the promised land.

On this day 10 years ago, Blackpool claimed a fourth victory on the bounce with a 2-0 home win against Doncaster Rovers…

There was a tremendous irony in the fact that DJ Campbell and Stephen Dobbie got the goals to secure this latest ‘can it really be happening?’ victory.

Campbell is on loan from Leicester City, while Dobbie has been borrowed from Swansea City - the very two clubs Pool are fighting tooth and nail with for a play-off place.

From the point of view of a Leicester and Swansea fan it must seem ridiculous. It’s a bit like Gordon Brown lending the Conservative Party Alistair Darling and Jack Straw for the next couple of months.

But that ain’t Pool’s problem, as they once again benefited from the goals of their two loanees.

Campbell scored his fifth - a poacher’s effort from close range while Dobbie has four. It was a pearler, but then again Dobbie isn’t the type to score straightforward tap-ins.

A pity the results from Leicester and Swansea couldn’t make it a perfect afternoon. But let’s face it, Pool had got lucky in the days before when just about every other scoreline had gone for them after the Good Friday win at Scunthorpe. It would have been greedy to expect the same good fortune again.

No matter. A fourth successive victory will do nicely, which makes it a very satisfying 12 points from the last 15 and the reason Pool are in contention.

Everywhere you looked at Bloomfield Road, there were delirious looking fans wandering around in a daze - some of them, even at this late stage of the season, still muttering ‘this can’t last’.

Well, I’ve news for you. It can last because the team is so obviously oozing with confidence.

Even Saturday’s toughest of trips to promoted Newcastle is being relished rather than feared.

Four games to go. Four unthinkably big games. And if the fans and the manager are nervous, spare a thought for Karl Oyston. He’s potentially a month or so away from £30m.

Why, we might even get an East Stand with a roof and a pitch with some grass on…

It still sounds faintly ridiculous to be talking about the notion of the Seasiders making the Premier League. That’s because of the last three horrible decades, when to Blackpool fans getting to the top flight of English football has been as likely as Huw Edwards performing a striptease and singing ‘Hey Macarena’ while reading the 10 o’clock news.

So even now, with the club a single point off the top six and with a super chance of making the end-of-season playoffs, the supporters still can’t quite believe it.

That might irritate Ian Holloway a little. But can you blame us? After all it’s not that long ago we were watching the likes John O’Kane, Kirk Hilton and Zarko Grabovac (remember him?) lose dismally at places like Rushden & Diamonds. Back then we celebrated throw-ins.

The club has come such a long way since those dark days. It’s the best it’s been since, well, probably 1970 when the club last made it to the top flight.

It’s going to be nervy over the next four weeks but we should enjoy every minute. Whether the club makes it to the play-offs or not, it has been one hell of a season and totally out of the blue.

Holloway and his staff have worked wonders, this latest victory against Doncaster once again typifying how much they’ve improved in the last nine or so months.

Up against a very good footballing side - the best in the division according to Holloway - the Seasiders were disciplined and determined, and deservedly eked out a victory.

The manager made four changes (he can afford to do that because the squad is so ridiculously strong, especially up front), bringing in DJ Campbell, Hameur Bouazza, David Vaughan and Stephen Crainey - the latter regaining fitness after a knee problem was a real bonus.

Put simply, Crainey is one of the best full-backs you could hope to see at this level.

Mind you it was the lad on the opposite side who really caught the eye yesterday. 21-year-old Seamus Coleman was a joy to watch as he foraged forward from the right back position and gave Doncaster problems all afternoon.

The only mystery was how he didn’t follow up his Good Friday goal at Scunthorpe with another.

Whatever, Everton boss David Moyes, who allowed Coleman out on loan, must have been impressed as he watched from the director’s box.

Coleman was possibly man of the match, though I felt Alex Baptiste, tremendously solid at the heart of the back four, just edged it.

The whole defence, though, plus keeper Matt Gilks, who made a couple of saves at vital times, were terrific - a clean sheet against a Doncaster side so swift going forward is proof of that.

It was an absorbing rather than a thrilling contest, Pool always in control but Doncaster dangerous whenever attacking.

The Seasiders went ahead on 27 minutes, when Crainey whipped in a cross and Rovers left back Gareth Roberts diverted the ball against his post.

Campbell, as all good strikers should, reacted quickest and forced the ball in from close range.

The star of the rest of the half was the linesman, who, given how often he raised his flag, is presumably in a clinic today being treated for RSI.

It seemed that Blackpool couldn’t cross the halfway line without the ref’s assistant waving his flag like an overenthusiastic punter during Land of Hope and Glory at the Last Night of the Proms.

Doubtless some of his decisions were correct, but I’d wager many weren’t.

Gilks produced a great save in first half stoppage time to deny Paul Heffernan, who had sneaked in at the back post unmarked.

Heffernan had been a last minute addition to the teamsheet, recalled from a loan spell at Bristol Rovers on the morning of the game.

In fact he pulled up in the Bloomfield Road car park an hour before kick-off still wearing his Bristol Rovers training kit.

Despite his lack of preparation, he was Doncaster’s main threat and Crainey had to clear off the line at the start of the second period when Heffernan nutmegged Gilks from a tight angle.

Sent clear by Campbell, Bouazza missed a great chance to increase the lead on 54 minutes, though credit to Neil Sullivan - the veteran keeper proving that life really does begin at 40, pulling off a top quality stop.

Heffernan lobbed Gilks but missed the target and James Hayter crashed Roberts’ cross against the bar.

Let offs for Pool, and they made Rovers pay.

On 68 minutes, 115 seconds after replacing Bouazza, Dobbie profited from some great work by Vaughan and beat Sullivan with a pinpoint shot into the top corner.

Campbell could have made it three but delayed his shot after scampering clear. But it really didn’t matter.

Pool rather strolled to victory, playing out time in a professional manner, like all the best teams do.

Now it’s Newcastle and fortress St James Park. Tough, but the way this Blackpool team is playing, certainly not impossible.