Opinion: Blackpool defy the stats and the league table to almost upset leaders Burnley

The league leaders had scored in 31 consecutive league games before they rocked up at Bloomfield Road – where the expectation was they’d sweep their Lancashire rivals aside with ease.

But Mick McCarthy’s men had other ideas.

What transpired was a battling display of grit and determination, mixed in with an astute gameplan and shape, that limited the all-conquering Clarets to very, very little.

Not only did Vincent Kompany’s side fail to score, they also struggled to carve open any clear-cut opportunities against a Blackpool side that remain mired in relegation strife.

But off the back of this hard-earned point, the Seasiders simply have to take some confidence and momentum into their final 11 games of the campaign.

Yes, the gap increasing to six points isn’t great, but if McCarthy’s side can replicate this type of display and effort for the remainder of the campaign they’ll certainly give themselves every chance.

Getting it spot on

This wasn’t all about guts and determination, mind. That would do a disservice to what was a really well orchestrated gameplan.

McCarthy stuck to the 4-4-2 system he utilised from the start against Reading last week, an approach that had to be tweaked after Shayne Lavery’s early injury. But instead it was Sonny Carey who played just off the returning Jerry Yates.

Burnley, as we all expected, dominated possession, reaching almost 80 per cent come full time. But in truth, they did very little with it and once we got to the 80-minute mark and beyond, it looked as though they had begun to run out of ideas.

The fact Chris Maxwell was rightly awarded Man of the Match might well give the wrong impression though to those fans that didn’t attend.

While the 32-year-old made three key stops, each as impressive as the other, it wasn’t like he was inundated with work. It’s just that when the efforts came, and they were largely shots from outside the box as opposed to anything in and around the six-yard box, Maxwell showed magnificent reactions to keep the ball out of his net.

Little gains

That’s something Blackpool have done better since McCarthy’s arrival; keep clean sheets. The Seasiders have kept back-to-back shutouts at Bloomfield Road, where they’re now unbeaten in their last six games in league and cup.

It might not sound like much, especially when they’ve only won one of those games, but at least it’s something. It’s a platform.

To nullify Burnley is no mean feat. In fact, it’s essentially unheard of this season so for a Blackpool side battling for their lives down at the wrong end of the table to manage it deserves recognition.

Others might point to the fact Blackpool failed to register a shot on target again, but I think that would be a little unfair.

This wasn’t like the Blackburn Rovers game the other week where, for all intents and purposes, the Seasiders barely looked like creating a chance, never mind scoring.

Against Burnley though, the men in tangerine did show intent – even if it was in fits and spurts – most notably during the final 10 minutes or so where, with the backing of the North Stand roaring them on, they sensed a late winner might well be on the cards.

Unfortunately it didn’t arrive, but nevertheless the Seasiders were more than worthy of their point. A point that, if we’re all being honest, we didn’t really expect to be added to the points tally prior to kick-off.

Yates, who produced another tireless shift in attack, probably went closest for Pool, fizzing a powerful shot just wide of the upright.

Jordan Gabriel also had a couple of good attempts, one being blocked and the other skewed disappointingly wide. But the full-back was in impressive form on his return to the side.

Getting no help

As if battling the runaway league leaders, who boast a 17-point gap to Middlesbrough in third, wasn’t hard enough, it felt at times like Blackpool were facing 12 men such was the disappointing level of referee Thomas Bramall’s display.

The official ignored a more than decent shout for a penalty in the first-half when Sonny Carey was essentially barged off the ball by the last man. It was the sort of challenge where, if it was located anywhere else on the pitch it would have been a clear foul, but because it was in the penalty area – or right on the line of the 18-yard box – the referee turns a blind eye.

Bramall was also in a generous mood late on when he failed to show a second yellow card to Nathan Tella, who committed an obvious bookable offence barely a minute after cynically scything down Jordan Gabriel as he looked to break – the exact sort of challenge Sonny Carey was shown a straight red for at Turf Moor back in August, I might add…

If those decisions had gone in Blackpool’s favour, who knows? They might have pulled off a real upset.

Instead, they take a point into next week’s clash against Bristol City, where they’ll be playing in front of the Sky Sports cameras at 12.30pm – a real treat for the travelling tangerine army.

Win that and Watford beat free-falling QPR, that sets up a tasty home clash against the Hoops the following Tuesday, doesn’t it?

Perhaps I’m dreaming, perhaps I’m getting carried away. But Blackpool are just about keeping themselves in the hunt to fight another day.