Ten-year anniversary of Blackpool's promotion to the Premier League: Ian Holloway enjoys winning return to Plymouth as Seasiders claim crucial away win

Over the coming weeks, The Gazette’s football writer Matt Scrafton will be dipping into the archives to bring you our reports from a decade ago on Blackpool’s remarkable journey to the promised land.

On this day 10 years ago, Ian Holloway had the last laugh against his former side as Blackpool claimed a vital away win.

Unsurprisingly, this match was all about Ian Holloway.

Sure, Angela Rippon tried to get in on the act, appearing on the pitch in a natty red number at half-time on behalf of a local charity and giving a moving speech.

But other than that it was Holloway’s day.

This match has been eagerly-awaited by folk in Plymouth since the start of the season. For those who’ve stumbled upon this match report out of desperation because they couldn’t do the sudoku, here’s the short version of why.

Holloway was doing very nicely in charge at Plymouth, but left them a couple of years back to join Leicester City. And, well, that’s it.

But football fans have long memories (a Blackpool supporter I know is still bitter about Joe Smith’s decision to axe Stan Mortensen in 1947...) and the Plymouth fans haven’t forgiven Holloway.

They say he’d promised not to leave but did, so he’s a Judas. For his part, Holloway says there were things going on behind the scenes the fans didn’t know about which forced him out.

Whatever, his return was hyped up, to the extent that Holloway made the front page of the local Plymouth paper the day before the game.

In fact, he was given almost as much space on the page as an international gang of drug smugglers sentenced to 17 years in prison. Blimey!

Ollie was being put on a par with a bunch of criminals - clearly this game was a big deal.

Because of all this, one half expected a brick or three to come smashing through the windscreen of the Blackpool coach as it neared Home Park. But in the end the atmosphere was nowhere near as poisonous as some thought it might be.

Of course there was the odd bit of screaming. But Holloway was applauded by 99 per cent of those who gathered around the team bus when it arrived at the ground an hour before the contest started.

And when he emerged from the tunnel prior to kickoff, there was nothing more than some mild-mannered booing.

Despite the best efforts of the media to whip up a furore, time clearly has been a healer and the majority of Plymouth fans appeared to have mellowed in their attitude towards Holloway for what may or may not have done in the past.

Mind you, by the time the final whistle blew they probably hated him again as Ollie’s Seasiders claimed the points.

The victory was less comfortable than it sounds though.

Precariously perched at the wrong end of the division and fighting for every point, Plymouth had five good chances to open the scoring in the first half but fluffed them all.

Blackpool were poor throughout the opening period but not too dissimilar to the Crystal Palace game a week ago, came to life in the second 45 minutes.

Charlie Adam began strutting his stuff and when his goal 12 minutes from time was followed by a strike from sub Stephen Dobbie, Pool had recorded yet another valuable three points.

They were big points too. In my book this was a must-win game. Defeat and Pool would have been as good as out of the play-off race.

But victory has piled the pressure on sixth-placed Leicester, who travel to Cardiff City tomorrow.

Defeat for the Foxes and the gap could be one point come Friday tea-time if the Seasiders win at Scunthorpe.

That’s a couple of big ifs, especially as Scunthorpe, another struggling side, will make it every bit as tough for Holloway’s men as Plymouth did.

But how ironic, given Holloway’s past, that Pool are now battling for the final play-off berth with Leicester.

What a sweet moment it would be for the manager if he could catch and overtake the only club he has failed at as a boss.

Whatever happens, with six games remaining it is all bubbling up nicely and looks set to be a fantastic finish.

Pool are well and truly in the thick of it thanks to a fantastic last week which saw them claim seven points from nine.

Since half-time in the Crystal Palace game, they have conceded only one goal in 225 minutes of football while scoring nine. That’s a goal every 25 minutes - not bad at all.

Here, after Holloway had taken his seat in the dugout and the important business of the football began, Plymouth were the better side, despite losing their skipper Carl Fletcher only four minutes in.

He suffered a badly gashed knee in a collision with Keith Southern. The Pool midfielder was booked, but harshly - it was a complete accident, whatever the view of Paul Mariner (who throughout the 90 minutes bounced spectacularly around his technical area like a prepubescent who’d guzzled too much fizzy pop).

Alan Judge miskicked when through on goal, the lively Yannick Bolasie slammed shots into the side-netting and at Matt Gilks, and the Seasiders keeper made a great stop from Bradley Wright-Phillips before Alex Baptiste bravely blocked the rebound.

Seamus Coleman then threw his body in the way of Jamie Mackie’s close-range shot.

Meanwhile, Pool’s best effort was a shot from 30 yards from Charlie Adam which went over.

It got worse moments before the break when Stephen Crainey’s knee went. Joe Martin came on.

Holloway didn’t reveal what he said to the players at half-time, or how loudly and forcefully he said it, but it had an effect.

His players were transformed after the break and Ben Burgess should have scored immediately, but couldn’t beat keeper David Stockdale after latching onto Luke Summerfield’s loose header.

After a quiet first half, Adam suddenly came to the fore - or at least his right foot did.

With the leg he only usually uses to stand on, the Scot curled a lovely long range effort against the inside of the post.

Then he thumped a thunderbolt of a right footer towards the top corner, only to see Stockdale pull off a truly remarkable save.

It seemed it wasn’t going to be Adam’s day. Au contraire... With 12 minutes to go and after Holloway had made a shrewd double substitution, replacing Jason Euell and Billy Clarke with Dobbie and Barry Bannan, Adam struck.

The impressive Martin deserves credit for a lovely ball in the build-up, Dobbie produced a clever backheel and Adam did the rest.

He drilled a low angled shot this time with his favoured left foot into the bottom corner. It was his 16th goal of a remarkable season.

Four minutes later it was 2-0 and game over. It came from another move down the left, masterminded by the quick feet of Bannan.

Adam helped it into the path of Dobbie, who showed good composure to finish past the advancing Stockdale.

Bannan could have added a third while at the other end. Mackie, meanwhile, kept trying for the hosts but didn’t get the goal he deserved.

Probably the best player on the pitch on the day, the Plymouth frontman twice tested Gilks after beating Baptiste and Ian Evatt. He also had a freekick tipped over with the last kick of the game.

Holloway sensibly didn’t celebrate at the end, walking straight down the tunnel. He didn’t need to do or say anything. The result was enough. Job done.