Blackpool vs Stoke City: Premier League Match Report (Part 1)
Blackpool played host to Stoke City at Bloomfield Road on Saturday, knowing that only a win would be enough to keep the Tangerines hopes of staying in the Premier League alive.
The Tangerines moved out of the drop zone last weekend following their draw with Newcastle United. However, with just goal difference separating them from the relegation places and with trips to Manchester United and Tottenham still on the cards, Blackpool
really needed to step up their game.
Stoke City on the other hand were flying high going into the game, considering the fact that they had made it all the way to the FA Cup final, and were looking to continue their good run against Blackpool.
The match kicked off with both teams looking to find an early opening, but it was DJ Campbell who came close in the seventh minute, as he headed a Stephen Crainey cross just wide of the mark. Having already scored 11 goals this term, everyone was tipping
Campbell to be the man to help keep Blackpool in the top flight at the end of the season.
Play was then stopped in the 10th minute after Charlie Adam suffered a head injury. Despite it appearing as though the Scotsman had been fouled, the referee didn’t award a free-kick and waved play on instead.
In the 20th minute, there was chaos in the Stoke area as no one seemed to be able to deal with Adams switch of play. However, Campbell failed to capitalise on the opportunity and took too many touches, before ultimately losing the ball.
In the 26th minute Stoke broke via http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Jermaine-Pennant-c18364 but Blackpool managed to regain possession of the ball and came close to scoring through Neil Eardley.
The game then slowed down a bit with neither side managing to fashion any real opportunity on goal.
In the final minute of first half stoppage time, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Glenn-Whelan-c15057 and then went on to round Matthew Gilks. With the goal at his mercy, the player somehow side-footed
the ball wide of the mark from inside the box.
As a result, the first half ended with the score at nil-nil, with all to play for in the second-half of the game.
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