Blackpool 4-1 Reading: Seasiders come from behind to get back to winning ways in emphatic style

The Seasiders’ midweek woes were compounded when they conceded a soft goal early into the first-half, Lucas Joao the beneficiary of some poor defending.

But Neil Critchley’s side responded well, levelling through Marvin Ekpiteta’s header - which was the defender’s second goal in as many games.

Gary Madine headed Blackpool in front before late goals from substitute Shayne Lavery and Josh Bowler made sure of the victory.

It ensured a miserable return for former Pool boss Paul Ince, whose Reading side remain mired in danger at the wrong end of the table.

Somewhat unsurprisingly, Critchley opted to freshen things up following Wednesday night’s disappointing display against QPR.

The Pool boss made four changes in total, as Marvin Ekpiteta returned after being rested at Loftus Road.

Kevin Stewart, Jerry Yates and Gary Madine all came back into the side as the Seasiders reverted back to their trusty 4-4-2 formation.

Oliver Casey, Reece James, Callum Connolly and Shayne Lavery were the four players to make way.

The return of Stewart to the starting line-up meant a return of his successful partnership with Kenny Dougall, which hasn’t been seen since Wembley back in May.

Ethan Robson and Charlie Kirk were left out of the squad, while Chris Maxwell (quad), Richard Keogh (calf), Luke Garbutt (knee), James Husband (hamstring), Matty Virtue (ACL), Grant Ward (achilles), Sonny Carey (metatarsal) and Keshi Anderson (hamstring) all remain sidelined.

On his return to Bloomfield Road, Paul Ince unsurprisingly named his son Tom in the Reading line-up as he made two changes from the midweek win against Birmingham City.

As the two sides made their way out onto the hallowed Bloomfield Road pitch, a Ukraine flag was hoisted high and proudly in the North Stand.

A message reading #WeStandWithUkraine also adorned the big screen and the advertising boards surrounding the pitch.

It only took a few minutes for Tom Ince to be loudly booed by the home faithful, followed by a not-so-complimentary chant that also referenced his Dad.

The game’s first chance fell to Jerry Yates, who has hit a dry spell in recent weeks with no goal in 10.

The striker could have changed that after eight minutes, when strike partner Gary Madine nodded a header down to him in the box, but his side-footed effort was well saved.

Reading were opting to sit very deep in the early stages, which led to the Seasiders enjoying virtually all of the possession.

Pool were still able to find space though, especially down the left through CJ Hamilton.

The winger created an opening for fellow wide man Josh Bowler by cutting the ball back to him on the edge of the box, but the 22-year-old could only fire high and wide.

Out of absolutely nothing, the away side took the lead on 17 minutes.

It was a ridiculously poor goal to concede from Blackpool’s point of view, as Junior Hoilett was allowed the time and space to pull the ball back into dangerman Lucas Joao, who completed the simple task of tapping home from inside the six-yard box.

The last thing you want to do against a side that is happy to sit back is concede early on, which gave the Seasiders a mountain to climb.

Blackpool are a honest bunch though and they stuck to their task, going close to a quick leveller when Jordan Thorniley acrobatically hooked wide from Madine’s header back across goal.

Madine then came close himself, only denied by a flying save from Luke Southwood after rising highest to meet Hamilton’s wonderful cross in from the left.

Pool got the equaliser their excellent response deserved when Marvin Ekpiteta beat Southwood to a bouncing ball to loop a header over the keeper and into the back of the unguarded net.

Ince, still the target of Blackpool fans’ ire, was denied by a crunching challenge from Dujon Sterling just as it looked like the ball was going to fall for him on the edge of the box.

At the other end, Bowler tested Southwood with a powerful drive on his weaker right foot, but the Reading keeper claimed it after two attempts.

Gabriel almost gifted Reading the opportunity to retake the lead at the start of the second-half when he sloppily gifted the ball straight to Joao, who fed teammate John Swift.

But fortunately for the Seasiders the Reading man was unable to capitalise and Ekpiteta came over to see out the danger.

The Blackpool skipper almost added an unlikely second goal of the afternoon when Southwood could only palm a long free-kick straight to the defender, who lashed disappointingly wide.

After an entertaining first-half in terms of action, the tempo just dropped off a little at the start of the second period.

Reading were given a chance to get their noses back in front when Ince was awarded a soft-looking free-kick on the edge of the Blackpool box, but Grimshaw made a superb save to tip John Swift’s vicious attempt over his bar.

It proved to be a pivotal moment in the game as just three minutes later the Seasiders took the lead.

Their goal came from the head of Madine, who towered over his marker at the back post to meet Kenny Dougall’s corner - heading down into the turf and the ball bouncing into the roof of the net.

Now brimming with confidence, the Seasiders went in search of an immediate third to kill the game.

They felt they had a strong shout for a penalty when Jerry Yates was barged off the ball inside the box after twisting and turning past his man, but the referee emphatically waved away the appeals.

Reading, to their credit, responded well, initiating a spell of pressure which saw a Tom Dele Bashiri shot deflect straight to Grimshaw when it could easily have wrongfooted the keeper and bobbled in.

Michael Morrison then headed narrowly wide from a deep Ince free-kick as the Royals looked to get back on level terms as quickly as possible.

The visitors maintained the pressure, as Ince saw a long-range drive hit the midriff of Jordan Thorniley.

Pool, already without eight players through injury, were dealt a blow 10 minutes from time when Jordan Gabriel was forced to hobble off. Reece James replaced him, which saw Dujon Sterling move back over to right-back.

Within seconds of the change, the Seasiders squandered a good chance to make it 3-1 when Hamilton fired with a first-time effort from Bowler’s lay-off.

Blackpool made their second change of the afternoon with seven minutes remaining as Shayne Lavery replaced the tireless Yates, who was given a deserved ovation as he made his way off the pitch.

The Northern Irishman made an instant impact, scoring within three minutes of coming on to put the game to bed.

Lavery latched onto a ball over the top, remaining patient before beating Southwood low down to his right to send Bloomfield Road into raptures.

Three soon became four when Bowler added gloss to the scoreline, volleying home a delicious first-time effort to score for the fifth time in seven games.

“Incey, what’s the score?” was the chant that echoed around Bloomfield Road in the final stages as the Seasiders saw out an emphatic win.

TEAMS

Blackpool: Grimshaw, Gabriel (James), Ekpiteta, Thorniley, Sterling, Stewart, Dougall, Bowler, Hamilton, Yates (Lavery), Madine

Subs not used: Moore, Casey, Connolly, Dale, Beesley

Reading: Southwood, Yiadom, McIntyre, Morrison, Rinomhota, Drinkwater, Dele-Bashiru (Meite), Swift, Ince, Hoilett (Ejaria), Joao

Subs not used: Boyce-Clarke, Abrefa, Barker, Halilovic, Clarke

Referee: Peter Bankes

Attendance: 10,954

​Thanks for reading. If you value what we do and are able to support us, a digital subscription is just £1 for your first month. Try us today by clicking here