Blackpool (p) 2-2 West Brom: Chris Maxwell the penalty hero as Seasiders upset the odds to reach fourth round of the FA Cup

The two sides couldn’t be separated following 120 minutes of highly entertaining cup football at a bitterly cold Bloomfield Road.

The Seasiders, who defied their third tier status throughout, were pegged back on two occasions having initially taken the lead in the first-half courtesy of Jerry Yates’ poacher’s effort.

The Baggies, managed by former Blackpool boss Sam Allardyce, hit back at the start of the second period through Semi Ajayi’s header.

Gary Madine restored Blackpool’s lead with a clinical effort, only for their top flight opponents to level for a second time 10 minutes from the full-time whistle thanks to a contentious penalty.

Blackpool had the clearest chance in extra-time against the Premier League strugglers, but the game was ultimately decided on spot kicks where Maxwell was the hero with three saves.

The Seasiders’ win, which was thoroughly deserved, was their first against top flight opposition in the FA Cup since beating Burnley in 1976.

Neil Critchley opted to make four changes to the side that lost 2-1 against Bristol Rovers last weekend.

Chris Maxwell, back involved after recovering from Covid, took the place of Sam Walker, who returned to Reading during the week following the expiration of his short-term loan spell.

Daniel Gretarsson, James Husband and Bez Lubala all came into the side, with Marvin Ekpiteta, Luke Garbutt and Keshi Anderson making way. Anderson was a surprise absentee from the 18-man squad, while Garbutt is now sidelined through injury along with CJ Hamilton.

Matty Virtue was named among the substitutes having finished his period of self-isolation after testing positive for coronavirus, included alongside the likes of Ethan Robson, Sullay Kaikai and Ben Woodburn.

West Brom made seven changes to the side that lost 4-0 to Arsenal last weekend, with the likes of Branislav Ivanovic, Kieran Gibbs, Jake Livermore, Sam Gallagher and Matheus Pereira all handed starts. Unfortunately there was no spot for former Seasider Matt Phillips in Sam Allardyce’s squad.

Blackpool made their positive intentions known right from the outset, getting on the front foot and playing some good football in the West Brom half.

Gary Madine had the game’s first effort on goal, volleying an ambitious long-range volley wide after cheating down Chris Maxwell’s long punt around 35 yards from goal.

The Premier League side, low on confidence following some recent heavy defeats, stayed in their shape early on before offering a glimpse of their quality in the final third as the half wore on.

The Baggies looked to find a way in down the right on two or three occasions by picking out the run of Filip Krovinovic behind James Husband and Daniel Gretarsson.

Their first real opportunity of the game came on the 20-minute mark, when Chelsea loanee Conor Gallagher dragged a shot wide of the far post after latching onto Matheus Pereira’s pullback.

Blackpool countered with a good chance of their own, Dan Ballard hooking over after Bez Lubala’s close-range header from an inswinging free-kick had been blocked.

At the other end, the returning Maxwell flew across his goal to save well from Pereira’s 30-yard free-kick.

The game soon turned into a scrappy affair, which suited Pool just fine, as they remained more than competitive in what was an even cup tie.

Krovinovic went close for West Brom 10 minutes before the interval, the winger seeing his 25-yard effort from the angle swerve just over the bar.

The Croatian threatened again as the Baggies began to turn the screw, Maxwell called into action to turn away his dipping effort from the right.

Just when it looked like West Brom were taking charge of proceedings, the Seasiders edged their noses in front with a goal on the break.

It began with Grant Ward capitalising on a West Brom mistake in the middle of the park, the midfielder then picking out Madine with an incisive forward pass.

The striker took a good touch before slipping in Bez Lubala, whose cross in from the left was turned home by Jerry Yates for the striker’s seventh goal of the season.

Blackpool had to do some defending at the start of the second half to maintain their lead, getting in some important blocks to deny the Baggies who had got in down the left via Kamil Grosicki.

Ollie Turton, lacking any communication from those near him, conceded a needless corner a few moments later, the right-back steering the ball over his own crossbar under no real pressure.

The Baggies subsequently punished Blackpool for their mistake, as they scored after working a short corner into the box.

Semi Ajayi was there to rise highest to nod a downwards header into the far corner beyond Maxwell’s desperate dive.

Allardyce’s men looked to immediately capitalise on the momentum swing as Grosicki got in behind, only for Ballard to put him off at the vital moment. The West Brom man still managed to squeeze a shot in but it was harmless enough and Maxwell was there to collect.

Blackpool managed to keep their composure, threatening themselves just before the hour-mark when Madine headed just over.

The striker’s effort looped onto the roof of the net following James Husband’s good ball in from the left.

The Baggies squandered a gilt-edged chance to take the lead when they found Grosicki in acres of space down the left once again.

The winger pulled the ball back into the path of Gallagher who skied his shot over the bar when he really ought to have found the back of the Blackpool net.

Just two minutes later, Blackpool wasted a good chance of their own. Turton swung in a teasing ball from the right which seemed to take Yates by surprise, the forward getting it all wrong and eventually bobbling an effort well wide from inside the six-yard box.

Thankfully Pool weren’t forced to rue that miss for too much longer as Yates’ strike partner Madine restored their lead on 65 minutes.

The two combined well, and not for the first time, to set Madine through the middle and the striker made no mistake with a swept, emphatic finish into the bottom corner.

Blackpool appeared to be seeing out the game fairly comfortably but that all changed 10 minutes from time when West Brom were awarded a highly contentious penalty.

Turton was the man controversially adjudged to have handled Grosicki’s cross despite only being a yard or two away when the Baggies man smashed his cross against him.

Pereira was the man to snatch hold of the ball and he stuck it away into the bottom corner despite Maxwell diving the right way.

Pool responded well to the setback and created two good chances to take the lead for a third time - Turton blazing over following a quick counter and substitute Matty Virtue drilling narrowly wide with the keeper well beaten.

The Seasiders were the side in the ascendancy in the dying moments but they were unable to find that all-important goal to win it late on, with the game instead going to extra-time.

Substitute Sullay Kaikai floated a dangerous cross towards the West Brom goal which missed everyone before bouncing narrowly wide.

Madine then combined well with Yates once again, beating the offside flag to find himself through on goal only to be denied by the onrushing Button.

West Brom returned with a chance of their own as Krovinovic blazed wastefully over after latching onto Kyle Edwards’ pullback.

Blackpool continued to compete well, Kaikai drilling an effort narrowly over the bar after skipping past a challenge in the final minute of the first half in extra time.

With only eight minutes remaining, Maxwell was called into action to make a vital save from Darnell Furlong’s effort, tipping it over the bar and out for a corner.

Nevertheless, just like the end of the 90, it was the Seasiders who were throwing men forward and looking for a last-ditch winner.

Unfortunately it didn’t come and the game was decided by spot kicks, where Blackpool recovered after missing their first penalty to edge through 3-2, Maxwell making three superb stops.

TEAMS

Blackpool: Maxwell, Turton, Ballard (Ekpiteta), Gretarsson (Mitchell), Husband, Dougall, Ward (Robson), Kemp (Virtue), Lubala (Kaikai), Yates, Madine

Subs not used: Sims, Thorniley, Gabriel, Woodburn

West Brom: Button, Peltier (O'Shea), Ivanovic (Kipre), Bartley (Sawyers), Gibbs (Furlong), Ajayi, Krovinovic, Livermore, Gallagher (Edwards), Grosicki, Pereira

Subs not used: Lonergan, Harmon, Harper, Richards

Referee: John Brooks

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