Tuesday 3 Sept 2019. 7.30pm, Leasing Cup, Bloomfield Rd.
In a much changed Shrimps side, another heavy defeat ensued, though the open and attractive game score doesn’t tell the whole story.
Blackpool made 9 changes to their side, Jim changed 6, despite this the flowing game of attack and defence which we witnessed was, apart from the score, enjoyable.
Poor marking from the first corner of the game gave Pool the lead. Heneghan rising unchallenged to head home from 6 yards at the near post in the 4th minute. not a good start. The Shrimps dominated possession for the next 20 minutes or so, O’Sullivan going close, Cranston unlucky with a free kick beating the keeper but hitting the inside off the post and rolling along the line and out, before Cranston again hit a great ball over the top for Kev to calmly slot home via a slight deflection from the flailing leg of Heneghan. This was now a contest and O’Sullivan playing up top was having his best day in a Shrimps shirt so far. With Wildig pulling the strings, we pushed hard for a second. For Pool, Feeney was a constant threat, he released the overlapping Nottingham whose cross rattled the bar, and quickly a long strike by Guy rattled back off posts, on the stroke of half time the troublesome Feeney crossed and a melee ensued, no touch was got on the cross and despite the despairing dive of Halstead he sadly couldn’t prevent it from trickling in. So Pool lead, very fortunately at half time.
The bright Hardie then killed the game as a contest just six minutes in the second period. He turned and fired between the legs of Sutton past the unsighted Halstead from 16 yards for 3-1.
Still the Shrimps battled hard and created three good chances to get back in the game. sadly, Mafoumbi in the home goals played very well, firstly stopping a Cole thunderbolt low to his left from 22 yards, then O’Sullivan got in one on one which he parried and immediately was back up to save the second effort from Cranston also.
Pool brought on Sully Kaikai who tapped in after Halstead had parried a vicious Shaw drive and more gloss was put on it when Nuttall eventually got on the sheet adding a 5th in the final minute.
We looked a little leggy in the final 15, but Joe Lynch and Carlos did get on, with very little success i have to say, but the worrying goal leak continues. At least Old, Tutte, Lewis and Shaun had a rest on the night.