COLUMNIST KEN BUCKLEY

From my seat: Blackpool (A)

A draw that felt like a loss from a game the Blues should have won, could have lost in a game that resembled a cup tie rather than a league match.

The game started in uninspired fashion until on the ten minute mark when in a Blackpool attack Adam advanced toward the box only for Arteta to upend him some thirty yards out.  Howard got the wall wrong and Eardley curled the ball past the end of the wall and we were 1-0 down. 

We restarted showing some vigour and within three minutes we were level thanks to Distin turning playmaker and making ground up the left, exchanged passes with the Yak who turned smartly and looped in a cross that Cahill despatched with a trademark header, roars of relief and approval as Cahill punched the corner flag.

The Blues now had the upper hand all the way to the break with Pienaar and Baines combining well and threading neat balls into the area but no one seemed to have the extra desire to put their laces through the ball but instead tried to go all Arsenal and look for the walk in goal. Our best chances came down the right from enthusiastic play by Coleman who was having a better game today but his shooting let him down first by firing straight at the keeper when well placed in the box and then after cutting in well passed about three players his left footed drive lacked accuracy and drifted beyond the far post.

Half-time and a lot of the chat centred on us being unable to capitalise on our neat approach play but we looked the far better side so much was expected for the second period.

The half started and after only three minutes it was the unexpected that happened when a panic riddled dithering defence failed to boot the ball away several times a bout of pinball saw a Blackpool player put his foot through the ball and we were behind again. Self inflicted wounds came to mind.

Then, just like the first half, within minutes we were all square. Coleman won a duel with his marker and set off on a run into the box Bale style and hit a shot with some power that seemed right at the keeper but it went right through him and into the net. Coleman?s first goal and he seemed unsure how to celebrate but the travelling rain-soaked faithful roared their approval.

Now I thought we would push on and our extra quality would see us home but it just didn?t happen. Blackpool played with gung ho spirit and the game became end to end. Blackpool had two good chances to go ahead again with the sub. and Adam both missing the target when well placed to do better. We attacked and Pienaar when put in on goal could only manage a powder puff effort with an unconvincing strike within the box.

Pienaar then slid Saha (on for the Yak) in one-on-one and although he was tugged from behind he should have done much better than miss the target. Pienaar had been signalling to the bench for some time and on three quarter time he was replaced by Bilyaletdinov. The Blues continued to have the better of it and from one Cahill low cross four Blue shirts were statuesque in the six yard box and our main striker Saha on the edge of the eighteen yard box. Joined up footy thwarted by lethargy.

With ten to go the manager took off Heitinga and put on Beckford a move which puzzled me a little as we had been doing most of the attacking and Heitinga having a better game today was marshalling well in front of the back four and holding up Blackpool forays forward. With Heitinga gone Blackpool found the route to our back four easier and the last ten minutes belonged to them.

We defended hastily and gave away corners then I thought we had lost it when sub Harewood strode through and put the ball in the net but thanks to our Ref. Mr Marriner for ruling it out for an infringement that was not apparent to me. Final whistle left the faithful non to happy at dropping two points from a game that should have been well won in the period of the first half when we swamped them but yet again the cutting edge was missing.

Overall I thought it was a cracking game if you were a Blackpool fan or a neutral but for those with a Blue persuasion it was hard to take after seeing us create so many chances and not have the wherewithal to convert them. Although blame can be laid at the door of our main strikers Yakubu and Saha I think both lack sharpness due to injury causing them not to play week in week out. Yak seems to be coming on but is finding it hard to last 90mins and Saha is just plain rusty.

Still with the way results are going so far in the league this season predictions will be hard to justify so it?s onward to the next games and see what we can get starting Wednesday night v Bolton.

Since leaving the game tonight, I can?t shake the feeling that we didn?t get our homework right on this Blackpool team.  For all our quality compared with theirs, we still didn?t have the answer to good old spirit and non-stop work rate. 

See you Wednesday
UP THE BLUES

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