SKY BET LEAGUE 1
Tuesday April 10th, 7.45pm
Bloomfield Road
BLACKPOOL 3
Armand Gnanduillet 42
Sean Longstaff 62
Jimmy Ryan 73
NORTHAMPTON TOWN 0
Attendance: 2,964 (349 Cobblers fans)
Blackpool: Joe Lumley, Ollie Turton, Curtis Tilt, Clark Robertson, Colin Daniel, Jay Spearing, Jimmy Ryan, Sean Longstaff (sub Callum Cooke 83), Nathan Delfouneso, Viv Solomon-Otabor (sub Dan Agyei 83), Armand Gnanduillet (sub Mark Cullen 78)
Subs not used: Christoffer Mafoumbi, Will Ainson, Dolly Menga, Danny Philliskirk
Cobblers: Richard O’Donnell, Shay Facey (sub Shaun McWilliams 55), Leon Barnett, Regan Poole, David Buchanan, Sam Hoskins, John-Joe O’Toole, Matt Grimes, Sam Foley (sub Jack Bridge 69), Chris Long (sub Daniel Powell 69), Kevin van Veen
Subs not used: David Cornell, Jordan Turnbull, Joe Bunney, Morgan Roberts
Referee: Mr Chris Sarginson
Booked:
Blackpool: none
Cobblers: Leon Barnett (63, 2nd of the season), David Buchanan (73, 3rd)
15 cautions at any time in season; 3 match suspension
Sent off:
Blackpool: none
Cobblers: none
Sendings off: 2 cautions in one game; 1 match suspension but cautions do not count towards above totals. Other sendings off; 1 or 3 match suspension. Extra match ban for additional sendings off.
Caretaker boss Dean Austin took charge for the first time following Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s departure and made four changes with John-Joe O’Toole, back from suspension, David Buchanan, Regan Poole and Kevin van Veen all coming into the side for the re-arrange fixture at Bloomfield Road. Ash Taylor served a one-match ban following his sending off at Peterborough while Kevin Luckassen (back), Matt Crooks (hamstring) and Brendan Moloney (knee) were all unavailable. Youth team midfielder Morgan Roberts was named on the bench.
Blackpool went closest to breaking the deadlock in the opening ten minutes, a deflected effort from Viv Solomon-Otabor inches wide and Jimmy Ryan testing Richard O’Donnell with a strike from distance.
Joe Lumley made a terrific save to keep out a Kevin van Veen header and the Blackpool keeper again did well to deny Chris Long when the Burnley loanee raced through one-on-one, the ball just eluding van Veen on the rebound.
Armand Gnanduillet put Blackpool in front with half-time approaching, side-footing home from close range after the Cobblers failed to get the ball completely clear from a corner.
The woodwork and a goal line clearance from Regan Poole denied Gnanduillet a second at the start of the second half, Clark Robertson also going close with a header. Shaun McWilliams then replaced Shay Facey after the right-back picked up an injury.
Sean Longstaff doubled Blackpool’s lead with a superb strike from 30-yards and it was almost 3-0 moments later when Robertson hit the post.
Sam Hoskins had a shot saved by Lumley before Jack Bridge made his Cobblers debut, the winger signed from Southend in January coming on in a double change with Daniel Powell.
Jimmy Ryan’s deflected free-kick increased the Tangerines lead and 3-0 was how it finished, a block from O’Donnell preventing substitute Dan Agyei adding a fourth late on.
BLACKPOOL MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (6) 11
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (2) 10
CORNERS: (4) 7
FOULS: (2) 5
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (2) 3
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (3) 4
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (2) 3
CORNERS: (3) 4
FOULS: (5) 12
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 1