Squires Gate 2-7 Blackpool: Young Seasiders come from behind to record comfortable win

The home side’s physicality proved the difference in the first half as Squires Gate edged two goals in front thanks to goals from Josh Pollard and Ryan Riley.

But they were unable to hold on to their two-goal advantage, as the Seasiders - whose side included mostly youngsters but also a handful of fringe first-team players - scored twice in the final eight minutes of the opening period courtesy of Ryley Smith and Yusifu Ceesay.

It remained level until the 70th minute, when Ceesay struck for the second time to put the Seasiders in front for the first time - a goal which opened the floodgates.

Pool’s extra quality told in the final stages as four further goals followed, two coming from Ewan Bange and one each for Emil Jaaskelainenand Rowan Roache.

Manager Simon Grayson watched on from the sidelines alongside assistant Ian Miller, but it was first-team coach Ian Dawes who took control of proceedings.

The Seasiders almost made an instant impact, Yusifu Ceesay seeing sight of goal inside the opening 15 seconds.

The winger engineered himself a few yards of space near the corner of the Squires Gate box but could only direct his shot wide.

Pool were reliant on an excellent reaction stop from Jack Sims to stop them going a goal down on 10 minutes, the young shot stopper flying across his goal to save from Ryan Riley.

The two sides exchanged gilt-edged chances to open the scoring, Ewan Bange fluffing his lines and failing to make contact from a Nathan Shaw cross before Dean Ing headed over from close range at the other end.

Pool had the ball in the back of the net on 18 minutes when Bange drove the ball home from inside the area, but his effort was immediately ruled out for offside.

Matters were made even worse for the young Seasiders when they went a goal down on 20 minutes.

It was a poor goal to concede too, Josh Pollard beating keeper Jack Sims to a long ball over the top and poking the ball past him and into the back of the net.

After a short water break, Pool found themselves falling two goals behind as Riley curled home a delicious effort from 25 yards out, giving Sims no chance.

But the Seasiders reacted well, reducing the arrears immediately as midfielder Ryley Smith slotted home from close range after the Squires Gate keeper left too much of a gap for him to exploit.

And Pool drew themselves level on the stroke of half time, keeper Ben Fletcher fumbling Yusifu Ceesay’s shot into the back of his own net.

The Seasiders were inches away from edging in front at the start of the second half, Bange coming within inches of reaching Shaw’s teasing cross - only for it just to evade him.

Centre back Harry Winstanley wasted a good chance from inside Squires Gate’s six-yard box, only getting the slightest of touches to Rowan Roache’s corner and the opportunity went begging.

Squires Gate’s Dean Ing went close to netting twice in quick succession, first seeing an angled drive narrowly miss the top corner before being denied by a strong save by half-time sub Myles Boney.

The shot stopper was again required to make a vital save to keep his side on level terms, getting down well to stop the right back’s fierce volley.

With 20 minutes remaining, Pool got their noses in front for the first time as Ceesay added his second of the game.

The winger, who had been a threat all evening, had the simple task of nodding home unmarked from Shaw’s cross.

It took just five minutes for Pool to extend their lead further, striker Emil Jaaskelainen sending a sublime first-time volley on the turn past the Squires Gate keeper.

Pool looked like scoring every time they came forward in the final stages and a fifth soon followed, Bange dispossesing the keeper to give himself the simple task of tapping home into an empty net.

It only got worse for the home side, who conceded a sixth with eight minutes remaining after Pool were awarded a penalty for a foul on Bange just inside the Squires Gate box.

Roache was the man given responsibility for the spot kick and he made no mistake, driving the ball high into the net.

Bange should have added a seventh, and his second of the game, in the last minute but he squandered a free header at the back post.

The tall striker made up for the miss in the final action of the game, rounding the keeper and slotting home into an empty net to make it seven.

TEAMS

Blackpool: Sims, Sinclair, Turner, Winstanley, McGladdery, Smith, Roache, Ceesay, Shaw, Jaaskelainen, Bange

Squires Gate: Fletcher, Mullen, Higham, Turner, Rossall, Westwood, Pollard, Ing, Egidi, Boyd, Riley