Ten-year anniversary of Blackpool’s promotion to the Premier League: Rampant Seasiders sweep aside Swansea City

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, Blackpool produced a stunning display to thrash play-off rivals Swansea City 5-1 at Bloomfield Road. This is how we reported it:

Hands up, who saw that one coming? I can’t see many hands.

Blackpool simply sauntered past the club with the meanest defence in the Championship, playing through their visitors at will for lengthy periods in the second half.

Swansea hadn’t conceded more than three goals in a game all season. In fact they’ve only conceded three twice, and that was against Newcastle and Middlesbrough.

They were simply no match for Pool, and this – don’t forget – a side without David Vaughan, DJ Campbell, Stephen Dobbie, Hameur Bouazza and Neal Eardley.

Imagine if they were all fit? Ian Holloway would have one heck of a squad.

Pool racked up their best win of the campaign, beating their previous highest score of a 4-1 win over Scunthorpe.

This was so much more impressive, because it came against a Swansea side in fourth position and which has been ridiculously hard to beat all campaign.

It also arrived after what had been a difficult week for the players.

In the previous seven days they had lost to West Brom and Sheffield United and laboured to a draw against Crystal Palace.

The start to the Palace match, in particular, had been dreadful.

Here it was very different, with Holloway’s men getting in the faces of their opponents from the off.

Gary Taylor-Fletcher’s position slightly ahead of the midfield two was a tactical masterstroke.

It stopped Swansea getting their pretty passing game going and thus wrestled the initiative away from their confused visitors early on. It was the foundation for victory.

Brett Ormerod, so terrific all evening, showed his intent by kickstarting the evening’s entertainment on 12 minutes.

The determination and desire that has been the hallmark of his career shone through as he won the race with defender Ashley Williams (eight years his junior) to force home the loose ball after Dorus De Vries had saved Billy Clarke’s angled drive.

De Vries, by the way, had been aiming to add to his 22 clean sheets in 38 games. Better luck next time...

Swansea rallied slightly as Pool had a little lull during the half, relying too much on the long ball.

The dangerous Nathan Dyer latched onto a superb 60-yard pass from Williams and cut past Stephen Crainey into the area, but Ian Evatt saved the day with a fine block.

That’s the kind of commitment the team misses when Evatt isn’t playing.

The key moments came either side of the break. Pool scored a second goal at a perfect moment in first-half stoppage time.

Clarke deserves great credit for bundling his way past Cedric Van Der Gun on the right flank.

Seamus Coleman took over and pulled the ball back to Evatt, who scored his first goal of 2010, his fourth of the season.

Then four minutes after the interval Clarke did a couple of Ronaldo-style stepovers before curling a left-footed shot against the inside of the post. The rebound fell perfectly for Ben Burgess to knock in.

Two goals in two games for the big man, great credit to Clarke for the initial skill though.

Swansea boss Paulo Sousa was probably bewildered, not that you’d know it. The guy looks fabulous, like a classier Mourinho.

A sign of how the contest was going, the Stylish One had made all three of his substitutions by the 59th minute, to no avail though.

De Vries did well to repel Charlie Adam’s thunderous effort but the keeper had no chance with Ormerod’s second of the evening on 67 minutes.

Fed by Coleman, the evergreen 33-year-old cut inside and slammed a left footer into the top corner. A peach of a strike, vintage Brett.

“Didn’t know Brazil played in tangerine” remarked one spectator as the Seasiders began to knock it around in gleeful fashion, every pass accompanied by a cheer from the home fans.

The atmosphere, with Pool supporters behind each goal, was top notch all night.

Burgess put a free header over from Coleman’s deep cross before the home side rounded off their scoring for the night with a well-worked strike seven minutes from the end.

Barry Bannan combined with fellow substitute Stephen Husband to put Coleman in on the right of the area.

The on-loan Everton full-back showed speed and strength to get to the ball, then vision and composure to put it on a plate for Taylor-Fletcher six yards out.

Great moment for ‘GTF’, who has missed large chunks of the season with injury, and also for Coleman not least because a no-doubt impressed David Moyes was watching from the directors’ box.

Also seated there was Jimmy Armfield – I bet the great man enjoyed last night’s football more than Saturday.

Swansea nicked a consolation moments later, Van Der Gun latching onto Husband’s error and beating Alex Baptiste before finishing nicely past Matt Gilks.

Annoying for the keeper and back four to concede but a minor irritation on what was otherwise a truly splendid night.

We can talk about the stats, like it being the first time Pool have scored five goals since beating Charlton at Bloomfield Road in February 2008.

But as satisfying as all that is the main thing about last night is that Blackpool guaranteed safety and will be a Championship team next term, for a fourth successive season.

To be safe from relegation this early proves they are a much better team than in previous years.

But just how good are they? That is now the question and it could be quite exciting finding out the answer. The play-offs are four points away. the dream’s back on.

Speaking afterwards, Pool boss Ian Holloway said it was his new scarf that did the trick.

“A lot of managers seem to have lucky scarves so I’ve gone and bought one,” he revealed.

“I am trying to look like these other managers, and I’ve made sure it has a little bit of tangerine in there.

“I’m just hoping we won’t get any sun between now and the end of the season because if we win 5-1 like that I am going to have to wear it every week!

“I’m delighted with this win. It was a bit rough last week to be honest. I didn’t enjoy it. It ruined my birthday.

“I was 47 and boy, what a terrible seven days it was. But the lads have been fantastic in the way they have responded.”