MATCH REPORT: Blackpool 2-3 Scunthorpe

Gary Bowyer’s men appeared to have barely awoken from their Christmas day slumber as they found themselves 2-0 down inside seven minutes.

The first came inside the first 60 seconds as Tom Hopper sent a volley into Ben Williams’ top corner before the impressive Duane Holmes made it two with a deflected effort.

The Seasiders were given hope when Danny Philliskirk halved the deficit with a stunning drive from the edge of the box.

But Pool started the second half just as they had started the first - by conceding. This time it was Hakeeb Adelakun who fired in a long-range effort of his own to wrap up the points and send them back to Lincolnshire.

Sean Longstaff added a consolation at the death but it wasn’t enough to save Blackpool from yet another defeat - only the second time Scunthorpe have won at Bloomfield Road in their history.

Blackpool, who brought Sean Longstaff and Nathan Delfouneso back into their side as two changes from the 1-1 draw at Charlton, were looking to build on their last-ditch point on Saturday.

But they got off to a disastrous start and found themselves a goal down inside 60 seconds.

The away side sliced them open with an attack from one side of the pitch to the other and it was Tom Hopper who volleyed past Ben Williams and into the top corner.

The home side almost found an instant response but Sessi D’Almeida’s drilled effort from the edge of the box flew the wrong side of the post by a couple of inches.

Just seven minutes in Blackpool found themselves 2-0 down, with Duane Holmes - the provider of the Iron’s first goal - turning goalscorer.

The diminutive forward was found in space in behind Blackpool’s backline and he found the back of the net via a slight deflection off the boot of Clark Robertson.

Despite their slow start, Blackpool continued to create chances and came close to cutting the arrears through Sean Longstaff - who could only fire wide of goal despite finding himself in a bit of space at the back post.

It looked as though the home crowd were ready to turn on their own players when Jimmy Ryan wasted a good opportunity to counter by shooting from the halfway line when he had two or three teammates ready to support him.

But a minute later they were given a lifeline thanks to Danny Philliskirk, who sent a rasping drive past Gilks and into the bottom corner of the Scunthorpe net to half the deficit.

The visitors began to manage the game at this point and decided to break up the game with a multitude of fouls, but the Seasiders remained a constant menace on the break and posed plenty of problems for Scunthorpe’s backline.

A chance fell for Nathan Delfouneso but the forward’s scuffed effort, which took a slight deflection off a defender’s leg, fell at a nice height for Gilks who easily collected.

The hosts continued to rally towards the end of the first half in their search for that equaliser and almost found it through Delfouneso, who volleyed just wide of goal after getting on the end of Armand Gnanduillet’s smart knockdown.

Despite being a goal down, the Seasiders left the field of play with an air of positivity as they felt they were in with more of a chance of getting back in the game.

But those hopes were dashed within the first minute of the second period as Bowyer’s men got off to a terrible start once again, conceding their third of the game.

Hakeeb Adelakun collected the ball from substitute Funso Ojo and unleashed a powerful strike from 25 yards which appeared to go under Williams and into the corner of Blackpool’s net.

Philliskirk, now playing at the tip of a diamond, was given another opportunity to get a shot on goal but this time he sent his effort over the Scunthorpe goal.

Boywer made the last roll of his dice with the double substitution of Jay Spearing and Scott Quigley, but within moments of the duo being brought on the Seasiders almost conceded a fourth as a Scunthorpe corner deflected off the shin of a Pool player and bounced just wide of goal.

A cross fell nicely for Gnanduillet inside the Iron box but the tall Frenchman’s shot went wide via a slight deflection.

Blackpool threatened a comeback of sorts halfway through the second period, as they tested Gilks three times in the space of three minutes but the former Seasider stood firm.

He rolled back the years by firstly saving Gnanduillet’s wayward cross, before palming away Curtis Tilt’s powerful header.

But he topped it off with a fine stop from Longstaff when the midfielder looked more likely to score.

Kelvin Mellor also had a chance to get one back for Pool towards the death as the ball fell nice for him inside the Scunthorpe box, but a defender got across well to block.

A dramatic finale was set up when Longstaff finally added his name to the scoresheet when he drilled into the far corner on his weak foot to make it 3-2

Curtis Tilt went down in the Scunthorpe box in the final minute of injury time but the referee waved away the appeals, allowing Scunthorpe to hold on for the win.

Blackpool: Williams, Mellor, Robertson, Tilt, Daniel, D'Almeida (Menga), Ryan (Spearing), Longstaff, Delfouneso (Quigley), Philliskirk, Gnanduillet

Subs not used: Allsop, Taylor, Anderton, Cooke

Scunthorpe: Gilks, Townsend, Wallace, van Veen (Novak), Morris, Hopper, Adelakun, Holmes, Goode, Burgess, Sutton (Ojo)

Subs not used: Watson, Madden, Lewis, Church, Butroid

Referee: Ross Joyce

Attendance: 3,446