Match report: Nelson 2 AFC Blackpool 1

Battling to avoid a second successive relegation, the Victoria Park club are much-improved since Steve Cunningham took charge and have now won successive games. The Admirals side included teenage keeper Marcel Wusiewicz on loan from Premier League Burnley. Blackpool took the lead from their first foray into the Nelson half as Billy McKenna’s cross-shot flew over the head of Wuziewicz into the net. The home side got on top in midfield but the AFC defence held firm until half-time, while in attack they relied on long balls to striker Ben Duffield. Nelson came out on fire for the second half and turned the game on its head with two goals in two minutes. Daniel Mort scored in the 48th and 50th minutes and Blackpool’s problems continued to mount as Povey was twice shown yellow cards.Having been booked for dissent, the keeper was dismissed after bringing down an attacker outside the box.AFC brought on substitute keeper Adam Speight but sacrificed defender Carnan Dawson.The 10 men then took the game to their hosts but couldn’t force an equaliser. Although the defeat halted Blackpool’s three-match winning run, they held on to their place in the play-off zone. However, all the other top-seven sides won. Blackpool are at home to struggling St Helens Town on Saturday.Blackpool: Povey, Nay, Dawson, Corbett, Baird, Pickering, McKenna, Fishwick, Duffield, Hargreaves, Gregory; subs: Speight, Betteridge, Bishop, Taylor, Williams.