Captain Fantastic's heroics help inspire FA Cup upset: Matt Scrafton's verdict on Blackpool's shock victory against Premier League West Brom

Blackpool’s goalkeeper and captain fantastic had a torrid time of it over the festive period, being forced to self-isolate for 10 days having tested positive for Covid-19 on December 23 along with his teammate Matty Virtue.

For three of those days the 30-year-old, who hasn’t seen his parents since March, could barely get out of his bed given the severity of the virus that had grabbed hold of his body.

During that time, Maxwell was forced to watch on from home as emergency loanee Sam Walker made a big impression with his two penalty saves in as many games.

Some were even calling for Walker to be brought in permanently as Maxwell’s replacement. How soon some people forget.

Not to be outdone, Maxwell produced three magnificent stops during Saturday’s penalty shootout to seal a thoroughly deserved cup upset for the Seasiders.

Neil Critchley’s side would have been real hard done-by had they been knocked out on spot kicks. Blackpool were the better side during the 90 minutes and they were the team looking more likely to knick it during the 30 minutes of extra-time.

It was telling that, whenever the game was reaching its climax, whether it be normal time or extra-time, League One Blackpool were the team taking the initiative, throwing men forwards and going all out for the victory.

The top flight Baggies clearly have the upperhand in terms of quality but you wouldn’t have known it, in fact you’d have struggled to notice too much of a difference between the two sides.

If you judged the third round cup tie solely on the quality of both side’s goals, Blackpool’s were certainly more pleasing on the eye.

Both involved swift counter-attacking moves, incisive passing and emphatic finishes. West Brom’s, by comparison, were the result of a close-range header which looked suspiciously like offside and a highly contentious penalty decision.

Those watching from home with the benefit of regular replays, slow-mos and different angles will tell you referee John Brooks had no other option but to point to the penalty spot when Kamil Grosicki’s cross smashed into the arm of unbeknown Ollie Turton, who was stood all of a yard or two away.

By the letter of the law, those people would be correct and Brooks, who deliberated and deliberated before eventually blowing his whistle, appeared hesitant to give the penalty himself.

That’s because the handball rule is, quite frankly, an ass. No-one can persuade me that Turton intended to stop that cross and had the presence of mind to move his hand in a split second to slap it away from its intended target.

But his arm was in an ‘unnatural position’, others will claim. What the hell is an ‘unnatural position?!’ Do we honestly expect players to waltz around the pitch with their arms glued to their sides when they’re desperately lunging and stretching to block and intercept?

The handball rule is my biggest concern with the game and always has been, even before the recent law changes. Unless you’re punching the ball off the goalline, a la Luis Suarez for Uruguay against Ghana at the 2010 World Cup, I can’t fathom any other situation where a player would knowingly stop the ball with their hand. It just doesn’t happen.

If you’ve ever played the game to any sort of half-respectable standard and you’re not a goalkeeper, ask yourself, have you ever intended to handle the ball? I’d bet good money the majority of you will say no.

It’s just a good job the penalty controversy, which resulted in Matheus Pereira levelling things up for the Baggies for a second time with just 10 minutes remaining, didn’t stop the Seasiders from deservedly winning the game.

At the time it seemed like the setback would see Blackpool finally crack, but they simply picked themselves up and dominated again as if nothing had happened.

Spurred on by the inspirational Maxwell, the energy and drive of Kenny Dougall and Grant Ward in midfield, the direct, powerful runs of Bez Lubala and the clever combination play of Jerry Yates and Gary Madine, the Seasiders were brilliant from back to front as they took the scalp of a top flight team in the FA Cup for the first time since 1976.

Critchley’s side opened the scoring in some style, Ward capitalising on a West Brom error in the middle of the park to break free before picking out Madine with a clever forward pass.

Madine showed experience and know-how to slow things down, calmly controlling the ball before picking out Lubala, whose cross in from the left was steered home at the back post by Yates – scoring his seventh goal of the campaign.

Having been pegged back by Semi Ajayi’s soft header at the start of the second-half, Madine restored Blackpool’s lead with an emphatic finish to also notch his seventh of the season.

Ward was involved once again, finding Yates who turned the ball behind West Brom’s two centre-backs with a clever flick into the path of Madine, who swept the ball home with his first touch, the ball nestling into the bottom corner with the goalkeeper given no chance.

Even when Big Sam’s Baggies hit back from the spot late on, the Seasiders still found time to squander a couple of presentable late opportunities before knocking at the door throughout the 30 minutes of extra-time.

Unfortunately they couldn’t find that all-important third goal but in the end, it wasn’t to matter thanks to Maxwell’s supremacy during the spot kicks.

The Seasiders, who raised their game against Everton and Liverpool in pre-season, raised their game against Stoke City in the Carabao Cup and raised their game against the likes of Peterborough United, Portsmouth and Hull City in League One, managed to do it once again to cause one of the biggest cup shocks of the weekend.

Into the fourth round the Seasiders go...

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