MATCH REPORT: Blackpool 1-1 Peterborough

Blackpool extended the gap to the League One dropzone to three points after drawing 1-1 against Peterborough United.

The visitors had the best of an end-to-end first half but somehow went into the half-time break on level terms after a close-range effort from Nathan Delfouneso cancelled out Jack Marriott’s opener.

The Seasiders were much improved in the second period but were unable to find that all-important winner, which means they are still without a win at Bloomfield Road since October - a run that stretches back ten games.

Blackpool, unsurprisingly, made no changes to the side that beat title favourites Wigan Athletic 2-0 on Tuesday.

It meant Armand Gnanduillet led the line for the second game running having scored in each of his last two outings.

Kyle Vassell, meanwhile, missed out once again as did Callum Cooke.

Blackpool, buoyed by their midweek win, started the game on the front foot but it was Peterborough who had the first shot on goal.

Just four minutes in, Michael Doughty looped a volley towards goal which was deflected just wide of Joe Lumley’s left-hand post.

Doughty threatened from range for a second time on the ten-minute mark, but Lumley was equal to his low effort which he did well to cling onto.

The Seasiders’ first effort on goal came from Sean Longstaff, whose long-range effort was easily claimed by Jonathan Bond after the midfielder had been fed by Jimmy Ryan who had done well to skip a couple of challenges.

Viv Solomon-Otabor, as he so often does, skinned his man on the left-hand side before pulling the ball back to Nathan Delfouneso inside the six-yard box but the forward’s lay off to Longstaff went astray.

The Seasiders were made to pay for wasting such a gilt-edged opportunity, as the away side took the lead with the following attack.

Jack Marriott, the league’s top scorer, was left completely unmarked inside the six-yard box to nod past Lumley from Marcus Maddison’s inviting ball in.

It was simply inexcusable from Blackpool to leave Peterborough’s sole striker unmarked so close to goal, and the former Luton Town man made no mistake to claim his 19th of the season.

After a fairly frantic opening, the game entered something of a lull with Peterborough happy to sit on their lead and keep frustrating the hosts.

But Peterborough almost doubled their lead five minutes before the interval after Colin Daniel was beaten far too easily down the right by the tricky Maddison, who sent a ball across the face of goal which just evaded Marriott in the centre.

Blackpool had been second best for the vast majority of the first half but they found themselves level in first-half injury time.

Solomon-Otabor caused havoc down the left-hand side once again, beating his man with ease before crossing towards the back post where Delfouneso bundled the ball home on the line.

There was a suspicion of handball as Delfouneso forced the ball home, but Peterborough’s desperate appeals were ignored by referee Eddie Ilderton.

Blackpool made a strong start to the second half and created a good opening for Longstaff, who exchanged passes with Kelvin Mellor inside the box but he couldn’t quite get a shot off at goal.

Peterborough’s Marcus Maddison had been a threat all afternoon and he came close to restoring his side’s lead at the start of the second half.

He created a yard for himself inside the box after going on a mazy run before curling wide of the top corner.

Pool continued their good start to the second period, Solomon-Otabor once again beating right back Liam Shephard before slotting the ball into the path of Gnanduillet who saw his shot charged down.

The visitors caught Blackpool out with a clever free kick routine on the hour mark but the Seasiders managed to desperately recover to clear the danger.

Pool began to turn the screw and came close through Gnanduillet once again, with his shot being charged down after the Seasiders had worked the ball well towards their striker from a corner.

The tall striker, looking for his third goal in as many games, was inches away from giving Pool the lead when he beat Bond to the ball from a Solomon-Otabor cross only to head wide of the far post.

Both sides showed an attacking intent in the final stages in a bid to win the game. Blackpool continued to throw men forwards while the Posh brought on Omar Bogle to partner Marriott in attack.

With eight minutes remaining, space opened up for Jimmy Ryan on the edge of the box but he sent his drilled effort over the bar.

Maddison tried to catch Lumley out with an audacious chip from outside the area but the Pool keeper managed to backtrack and claim his effort on the goalline.

Blackpool almost found a second in the 89th minute when Mellor charged down a long ball, almost forcing Andrew Hughes to turn the ball into his own net.

Gnanduillet then had an opportunity to win it in injury time when Posh keeper Bond came racing out of goal. With the goal at his mercy, Gnanduillet opted to pass to substitute Sessi D’Almeida but the visitors recovered to clear.

Blackpool: Lumley, Turton, Tilt, Robertson, Daniel, Mellor, Ryan, Longstaff (D'Almeida), Solomon-Otabor (Philliskirk), Delfouneso, Gnanduillet

Subs not used: Mafoumbi, Taylor, Aimson, Spearing, Agyei

Peterborough: Bond, Shephard, Hughes, Tafazolli, Baldwin, Forrester (Bogle), Doughty (Da Silva), Ward (Cooper), Grant, Maddison, Marriott

Subs not used: O'Malley, Taylor Lloyd, Morias

Referee: Eddie Ilderton

Attendance: 3,286 (301 Peterborough)