Blackpool 1-0 Swansea City: Seasiders dreaming of late play-off charge as they make it three wins in a row

The striker headed home from Charlie Kirk’s cross after just five minutes for his eighth goal of the season.

Despite having barely 25% of possession, the Seasiders were the far potent side and had multiple chances to make life more comfortable for themselves.

Swansea, meanwhile, were far too ponderous and focused on keeping the ball, rather than creating serious problems for Blackpool’s backline.

The win sees Blackpool move up 12th, just six points off the play-offs with 10 games to go.

The Seasiders also move ahead of Lancashire rivals Preston North End on goal difference having played a game fewer.

Neil Critchley made three changes to his Blackpool side from last week’s 1-0 win away at Stoke City.

Pool’s head coach also opted to switch things up tactically as well, naming just one striker in his starting line-up in Gary Madine.

It saw the Seasiders begin the game in a back three, with Callum Connolly playing alongside Marvin Ekpiteta and the returning James Husband.

It was a first start for the latter since he suffered a hamstring injury during the FA Cup defeat to Hartlepool United at the start of January.

Connolly and Charlie Kirk also came into the side, as Jordan Thorniley, CJ Hamilton and Shayne Lavery made way.

The latter two were named among the substitutes, but Thorniley missed out with the neck and back spasm he suffered in the win at Stoke last week.

Chris Maxwell (quad), Richard Keogh (calf), Luke Garbutt (knee), J, Matty Virtue (ACL), Grant Ward (achilles), Sonny Carey (metatarsal) and Keshi Anderson (hamstring) all remain sidelined.

Swansea began the day in 16th, four points adrift of the Seasiders in the league table having been beaten heavily by league leaders Fulham in midweek.

They were trailing again as early as the fifth minute, as Gary Madine continued his fine scoring run to give Blackpool an early lead.

It was a criminal way for the visitors to concede, leaving Madine completely unmarked at the back post to head Charlie Kirk’s corner back across goal and into the top corner.

It meant the atmosphere, which was already rousing ahead of kick-off with around 2,000 Swansea fans making the long trip from South Wales, ramped up another notch.

The tactical switch was certainly working its magic in the early stages, as Blackpool - as they so often do - worked tirelessly off the ball to stop the away side playing from back to front and through the thirds.

It left Russell Martin’s side with no option but to knock it long, which was meat and drink to the likes of Marvin Ekpiteta and James Husband.

Midway through the first-half, the BBC’s live stats showed Swansea had enjoyed 76 per cent of possession, yet they had done absolutely nothing with it.

The game slowly but surely had the life sucked out of it by the visitors, who remained incessant on playing the ball amongst themselves with no attacking threat whatsoever. Not until they delivered some threatening crosses from wide positions, at least.

The away fans, to their credit, remained incredibly patient with their side, who were keeping hold of the ball for the sake of keeping possession with no purpose to their play whatsoever.

The Seasiders, meanwhile, could have added a second when they forced a high turnover of the ball, allowing Madine to feed Kirk whose low effort was blocked by the legs of the keeper.

The two combined for a third time six minutes before the break, as Kirk exchanged a quick one-two with Kevin Stewart from a short corner before delivering a teasing cross which was met by Madine, who saw his header well tipped over by Fisher.

The hosts then squandered a priceless chance to double their lead on the stroke of half-time when Josh Bowler was sent through on goal by Kevin Stewart.

But the winger, eyeing his seventh goal in nine games, inexplicably fired wide with only the keeper to beat.

Very little changed at the break, because the second-half began in the same vein, the visitors looking susceptible to the counter whenever Blackpool won the ball back.

Callum Connolly snuffed out Jamie Paterson, allowing Stewart to tee up Bowler who twisted and turned his man before dragging a shot agonisingly wide of the near post, with the keeper beaten.

Saying that, the Swans did begin to enjoy more possession of the ball in dangerous territory, but still Blackpool stood firm.

Critchley remained animated on the touchline alongside his trusted number two Mike Garrity, who were both urging their troops up the pitch as they were forced further and further back.

When Blackpool did win the ball back, there was nowhere for them to go and the counter-attacking threat was no longer there.

For all of Swansea’s possession and territory, they still weren’t able to carve the Seasiders open.

Matt Grimes did go close in the 73rd minute with a relatively hopeful long-range effort which had Grimshaw scrambling, but just bounced wide.

Something needed to change from Blackpool’s point of view, even if it was a fresh pair of legs just to liven things up.

Fifteen minutes from time, Critchley made a double change, replacing Kirk and Madine with CJ Hamilton and Shayne Lavery to add more energy to the frontline, which had been tiring.

The Seasiders wasted a gilt-edged chance to break through on goal with 10 minutes to go when Bowler failed to pick out Hamilton, who was otherwise in acres of space on the left flank.

For all of their pleasing on the eye, tippy-tappy play, Swansea looked most dangerous when they just got the ball in the Blackpool box, especially from wide positions.

On one of those occasions, Pool were reliant on Grimshaw making an outstanding save to tip Cyrus Christie’s back-post header over the bar.

The double change allowed Critchley’s side to play a lot higher up the pitch, resulting in one or two half chances in the final moments.

Hamilton almost picked out Lavery from the left, while Kenny Dougall had a shot blocked after the Swans failed to clear their lines.

With three minutes remaining, Hamilton was involved once again as he pulled the ball back into the path of Bowler, who fired agonising wide of the far post - almost producing a carbon copy of the goal he scored recently against Reading.

Bowler was replaced after that, given a deserved ovation in the 89th minute as he was replaced by Owen Dale.

The home side saw out the four minutes of stoppage-time with relative ease to send Bloomfield Road into raptures, leaving Pool fans dreaming of a late play-off charge.

TEAMS

Blackpool: Grimshaw, Connolly, Ekpiteta, Husband, Sterling, James, Stewart, Dougall, Bowler (Dale), Kirk (Hamilton), Madine (Lavery)

Subs not used: Moore, Casey, Robson, Yates

Swansea: Fisher, Smith (Ogbeta), Cabango, Naughton, Christie, Downes, Grimes, Ntcham, Paterson, Piroe, Obafemi

Subs not used: Hamer, Burns, Latibeaudiere, Congreve, Fulton, Joseph

Referee: Stephen Martin

Attendance: 12,344