Blackpool 2 v 2 Bolton

Bolton came from two goals down to share the spoils with Blackpool in a thrilling draw at the Reebok. Defender Ian Evatt headed the visitors ahead in the first half from a precise Elliot Grandin corner. Luke Varney headed another Grandin corner into the Bolton net to make it 2-0 just before the hour. But Martin Petrov pulled one back with a delightful volley and Mark Davies rescued the home side with a calm side-foot finish a minute from time. Before the match, Blackpool manager Ian Holloway had spoken of his admiration for Owen Coyle, who has turned Bolton into attack-minded entertainers this season. Indeed, with 26 goals from 14 matches, Wanderers came into the game unbeaten in November and with a goal tally bettered by only four Premier League sides. Yet the home side initially struggled to achieve such penetration against their Lancashire rivals and had it not been for the Seasiders' refusal to sit on a two-goal cushion Holloway could have left the Reebok with the upper hand over his opposite number (BBC Sport)

Blackpool 2, Wolves 1

PRINCE William's presence at Bloomfield Road inspired the Seasiders to a 2-1 victory over Wolves.

The Prince watched the game from a sponsor's box and was no doubt enthralled by what was another momentous afternoon by the seaside.Luke Varney opened the scoring with a superb goal just three minutes in and Marlon Harewood scored his fifth of the season on the stroke of half time.

Varney's goal was stunning, as good as any player in the Premier League could produce. Controlling Ian Evatt's long ball forward on his chest in front of the ponderous Kevin Foley, Varney stepped in from the left byline and smashed a first-time looping half-volley over Marcus Hahnemann from fully 30 yards. It was the kind of goal that very few players can score and one Varney will be telling his grand-children about. Even William looked impressed...

DJ Campbell had a shot blocked and Hahnemann saved from Hareood's low strike but in truth it was Wolves who went onto boss the half. They had 60 per cent of possession and missed good headed chances, Stephen Hunt and Kevin Doyle both missing the target after getting on the end of good crosses from left back George Elokobi. They paid for those missed chances on the stroke of half time when Varney - having a good afternoon - got on the end of David Vaughan's left wing corner and Harewood stabbed the ball home from six yards.

The second half began at a frantic pace and rarely let off...read more...

Blackpool 2 - 1 West Brom

Blackpool capitalised on West Brom suffering two first-half dismissals to record their first top-flight home victory since 1971. West Brom were dealt an early double blow when Pablo Ibanez was dismissed for a foul on DJ Campbell, resulting in a penalty that Charlie Adam scored. Gonzalo Jara's lunge on Luke Varney saw the Baggies reduced to nine men. Varney doubled Blackpool's lead before Youssouf Mulumbu curled in what proved to be a consolation goal for Albion. Having beaten Blackpool twice in the Championship last season and defied expectation with a superb start to this campaign, West Brom brought both belief and momentum into the game. However, two incidents in the first half - both of which saw the Baggies emerge a man lighter - swung the match in the home side's favour. (BBC Sport)

Blackpool 2 Man City 3

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 final of 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.This contest might have been billed as princes versus paupers but it turned out to be nothing of the kind.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, believe me, 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 because "guitar groups are on the way out".

The wait might go on but my word the Seasiders are making a lot of people look about as foolish as Decca."They'll never survive in the Premier League," chirped the so-called experts. "They're going straight back down, be lucky to get 10 points," said others.

Complete nonsense, I'd argue. 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 Carlos Tevez, Emmanuel Adebayor (blimey he's a big lad) and Nigel de Jong (not the victim of as many pantomime boos as I'd have hoped), 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 club 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, it was Elliott Grandin who was off ... news which further brightened Holloway's mood), then Adam's thumping shot was tipped over the bar by Hart. Pool were in the ascendency, if any side were to score it was surely them.Famous last words. As so often happens in football, under-the-cosh 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 Milner's chip off the line, then Milner – finally showing us why he is allegedly worth £26m – 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. Charlie Adam whipped in a free-kick which substitute Marlon Harewood glanced past Joe 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 and left holes at the back, then Silva scored a superb third goal – twisting past opponents for fun before curling the ball beyond Matt Gilks.That was in the final minute.

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. Keep this up and they it's not a case of 'if' but 'when' they survive. (Blackpool Today)

Liverpool 1 Blackpool 2

GOALS from Luke Varney and Charlie Adam handed Blackpool sensational win against Liverpool.

Charlie Adam's penalty and Luke Varney's perfectly-timed run and finish did the damage in the first half and although Sotirios Kyrgiakos's header pulled one back Liverpool will spend the next fortnight rooted in the bottom three because of the forthcoming international break. Blackpool were well worth their win on their first-half performance alone. Liverpool were not helped by the 10th-minute loss of striker Fernando Torres to a suspected groin injury, but even then they should still have at least dominated possession. But they did not get chance as Blackpool attacked from the off and Adam's second-minute free-kick had Jose Reina batting the ball away. Torres barely had time to flash a cross into the six-yard box where Joe Cole deflected it wide before he was replace by David Ngog. Blackpool were enjoying far more of the play than they could have expected to at Anfield and DJ Campbell went close at the far post from Neal Eardley's teasing right-wing cross. When Steven Gerrard gave the ball away in his own half it was only Martin Skrtel's sliding challenge which denied Varney's shot but the pressure eventually told in the 29th minute. Right-back Glen Johnson, in particular, has had a dreadful start to the season and it got worse when he brought down Varney, allowing Adam to fire home the penalty despite Reina getting a hand on it. Liverpool's response was half-hearted with Kyrgiakos, Ngog, Johnson, Dirk Kuyt and Raul Meireles all failing to test goalkeeper Matt Gilks with chances.Seconds before the interval the Seasiders stunned their hosts when Gary Taylor-Fletcher flicked a ball into the penalty area and Varney ran on to fire past Reina ... read more...