Blackpool in the Premier League 10 years on: Battling Seasiders just fall short of upsetting Manchester City

On this weekend a decade ago, Blackpool lost 3-2 to Manchester City but, as STEVE CANAVAN reported in The Gazette at the time, their display impressed at home and abroad...

It may be of scant consolation to Ian Holloway and his Blackpool team but even one of the world’s best tennis players reckons the Seasiders are brilliant.

Andy Murray thumped Roger Federer in the Shanghai Masters, then returned to his hotel room in the Far East to watch this game.

We know that because he posted a message on Twitter (ask your children, it’s some internet thing) saying: ‘Blackpool are so good to watch! Loving what Ian Holloway has done’.

Apart from unnecessary use of an exclamation mark, spot on Mr Murray, and rest assured that all Blackpool fans will give you an extra cheer when you’re losing a heartbreaking five-setter in the quarter-finals at Wimbledon next year.

For lengthy periods it was hard to tell which club shopped at Harrods and which in Aldi as Pool’s team, put together for less than £3m, more than matched a Manchester City squad worth in excess of £200m.

Class possibly just about told in the end but the Seasiders were so unlucky to lose.

For starters, they became the first side to score twice against Roberto Mancini’s side this season.

Then there were City’s first two goals, gifted to them by the officials.

Carlos Tevez was offside for his first; the Argentinean getting away with a foul on Ian Evatt for the next – a killer as Pool had hauled themselves back into the contest by equalising 60 seconds earlier.

To say Ian Holloway was unimpressed with the performance of referee Phil Dowd is putting it mildly.

But given that he was already confined to the stands after an improper conduct charge, the boss, as frustrated as he was, had to be careful with what he said after the game.

He just about held his tongue and managed to avoid getting himself in further hot water.

The end result was a real shame because Blackpool couldn’t have played much better.

For a while, particularly the opening 20 minutes of the second half when they were bossing the contest, it looked as if they would actually beat City.

They haven’t done that in a league game since April 1962, when the Beatles had just been rejected by Decca Records.

The wait might go on but, my word, the Seasiders are making a lot of people look about as foolish as Decca.

While there is still a long way to go and probably difficult periods to overcome, all the evidence we’ve seen so far suggests Blackpool will be a top-flight side next season.

They are playing with a confidence and rhythm that is a joy to watch.

David Vaughan and Charlie Adam are in terrific form in the middle, and with Luke Varney displaying more energy than your average Commonwealth Games athlete, the omens are encouraging indeed.

How wonderful it was just to witness this game. The stadium was bouncing for a fixture that Pool fans had been really looking forward to.

Fulham and Blackburn, the previous home games, had been great, but City were the first real glamour visitors.

After a slow start, when they were perhaps still a trifle surprised to find themselves on the same stage as the likes of Tevez, Emmanuel Adebayor and Nigel de Jong, Pool found their feet and just about edged the first period, though neither side created many real clear-cut chances.

It’s a vaguely interesting statistic, by the way, that Blackpool haven’t scored in the first half at Bloomfield Road since the play-off semi-final with Nottingham Forest.

Different story after the break though, as the contest became stretched and opportunities presented themselves.

DJ Campbell had the best opening, finding himself free in front of goal after good work by Adam and Varney.

Unfortunately, the Seasiders’ record signing couldn’t get his shot on target, beating the post as well as Joe Hart.

Gary Taylor-Fletcher had a goal disallowed (a touch harshly as he was onside), then Adam’s thumping shot was tipped over by Hart.

Pool were in the ascendancy, if any side were to score it was surely them.

Famous last words. As so often happens, City broke up the other end and scored.

David Silva, on as a sub a couple of minutes earlier, crossed and Tevez finished with a clever backheel. Offside by half a yard though.

The excellent Neal Eardley had to clear James Milner’s chip off the line, then Milner rattled the crossbar with a long-range effort.

It seemed Pool might collapse. We should have known better.

On 79 minutes, Varney was fouled on the right flank. Adam whipped in a free-kick which substitute Marlon Harewood glanced past Hart.

The crowd went berserk, ‘Glad All Over’ started playing.

Alas we’d barely reached the chorus when City regained the lead – Tevez getting away with his foul on Evatt, then enjoying another slice of luck when his deflected shot flew off Craig Cathcart’s boot and into the bottom corner.

Tevez hit the bar as Pool pushed forward, then Silva scored a superb third goal – twisting past opponents for fun before curling the ball beyond Matt Gilks.

Holloway’s team never give up though and earned some reward for their endeavour when they snatched a second goal at the death, Taylor-Fletcher turning in Varney’s scuffed shot from an Adam corner.

There wasn’t time to hit back again, a pity as City were looking rattled.

It meant disappointment at the end, but is disappointment really the correct word after a performance like this?

Of course it’s not. This was terrific stuff from Blackpool.

Viewed live on TV by millions, they’ve no doubt won countless more fans and will be showered with praise by the very people writing them off a few weeks back.