It proved to be a rare win on the road for the Seasiders, who enjoyed a bright opening 20 minutes at the Memorial Stadium, but had to work hard to hold on after that.
Chris Martin’s goal changed the dynamics of the fixture, but Neil Critchley’s side were able to hold off pressure from the Pirates to come away with the three points.
It proved to be a dream start for Blackpool- with their opening goal coming in the fourth minute. Jordan Rhodes did well to hold the ball up and play a pass through to Kyle Joseph down the left side. From there, the striker found Hamilton as he arrived into the box, leaving the wing-back with plenty of space to lift an effort over multiple players to find the top corner.
Down the other end, a big save was required from Richard O’Donnell, who was in for the injured Dan Grimshaw. The fixture marked the 35-year-old’s league debut for the Seasiders, and he did well to stop a close-ranged attempt from Luke Thomas.
Ahead of the 20-minute mark, Critchley’s side doubled their lead. Joseph once again proved to be a handful for the Pirates defence, with the 22-year-old rolling the ball to Dembele to smash past Matt Cox.
The home side quickly reduced the deficit, as a flick from Martin looped in to make it 2-1. Meanwhile, Luke McCormick had a couple of opportunities to pull Matt Taylor’s side level before the break, with a challenge from Hamilton and a save from O’Donnell denying him.
Half time probably came at the right time for Blackpool, but the pressure from Bristol Rovers continued after the restart.
The Seasiders also had chances as well, with a back post header from James Husband getting the away support excited, before realising the ball had gone into the side netting.
The home side felt they should’ve had a late penalty, but ultimately Blackpool were able to hold on to a rare three points away from Bloomfield Road, as they continued their strong run of results at the start of 2024 with only their third league win on the road this season.
Here’s how the Seasiders performed:
1. How did Blackpool perform?
The Seasiders took on Bristol Rovers at the Memorial Stadium. Photo: Pete Norton
2. Richard O'Donnell- 7
Richard O'Donnell made a couple of big saves for the Seasiders to deny the home side. He was unfortunate with the way the ball looped in for Chris Martin's goal. Photo: CameraSport - Ian Cook
3. Olly Casey- 7
Olly Casey produced his usual collection of strong challenges at the back for Blackpool. Photo: CameraSport - Richard Martin-Rob
4. Marvin Ekpiteta- 7
In his second game of the week, Marvin Ekpiteta made some key blocks at the back for the Seasiders. Photo: CameraSport - Dave Howarth
5. James Husband- 7
A pretty solid defensive display from James Husband- who as usual also got involved going forward and played a number of balls into the box. Photo: CameraSport - Ian Cook
6. CJ Hamilton- 7.5
CJ Hamilton opened the scoring with a superb strike. With a number of bodies between him and the goal, he had to produce a perfect shot into the top corner. Photo: CameraSport - Andrew Kearns