Forthcoming Fixtures

LANCASHIRE SENIOR CUP

Monday 9th January 2012

Blackpool 2 Manchester City 1

Benali 48

so there are two towers now in Blackpool

It was a story of many missed chances that saw City exit the LSC. The side had been boosted by the return of several loan players and it was one of them in Ahmad Benali who gave City the lead at the beginning of the second half

City’s chances of winning the Lancashire Senior cup since 1974 fell by the wayside at Blackpool’s Bloomfield Road ground after letting a goal lead slip in the second half.

The first half saw pretty much one way traffic in City’s favour as they passed the ball around the Blackpool players like they were not there at times as they just could not cope with City’s movement but despite the majority of possession leading to creating multiple chances on goal City could not find a way over the line.

City main chances came to Alex Nimely returning from his loan spell at Middlesbrough and Joan Roman but try as they might their shots were going just inches wide or once the Blackpool goalkeeper Mark Halstead forced the ball behind for a corner.

City did not let their heads drop and sustained the pressure for the full half but we all know that in football if you do not take your chances you give the opposition confidence and invariably the whole game can be turned around on its head in the favour of the opposition.

Early in the second half those thoughts were perhaps laid banished as City finally broke the deadlock after Jeremy Helan made a storming run down the left side before sliding a low cross that missed the first couple of City players but came to Ahmad Benali with his back to goal but turned well and fired under Halstead.

City did not rest on that one goal advantage and were attacking again just over sixty seconds after that goal as the ball this time was worked down the right where Tom Smith made a good overlapping run and cross for Benali to strike first time but there was Halstead to get enough on the ball to block the ball over the crossbar.

Blackpool did have their first meaningful foray up the pitch a few minutes later down the left hand side which culminated in forcing Stuart Taylor into a decent save at his near post.

Again however it was yet another run with pace down the left by Jeremy Helan that caused the Blackpool defence lots of problems that they just cleared behind for a corner. That resulting set piece Alex Nimely was allowed to get to the ball with his head but yet again he was just wide with his effort.

Within a minute of that City chance and the referee had in my view wrongly awarded Blackpool a lifeline back into the game when he gives a penalty for Courtney Meppen-Walters blocking and winning the ball coming in from the side near the edge of the area. Stephen Husband steps up to send Taylor the wrong way and draw Blackpool level.

However just a few minutes later and it is that man again; Jeremy Helan on the left as he got beyond the Blackpool defence down the left before cutting back inside but the Blackpool defender had a swipe to try to knock the ball but missed and caught Helan’s trailing leg and the referee awarded his second penalty of the match. Despite failing to find the back of the net Nimely stepped up to take the penalty but hit it at a decent for Halstead who blocked the ball but it cannoned out and City could not take advantage as Halstead gathered at the second attempt.

City continued to press or a winner and substitute Albert Rusnak was left free on the edge of the area but again Halstead got enough on the ball to tipped the measured strike behind and around the post.

Finally the sting in the tail was administered when a ball down the left for Blackpool is crossed into the box but is deflected away from Meppen-Walter as he lunges for the ball but in consequence Louis Almond was left free in the area straight through on goal from about ten yards where he fires the ball past Taylor.

So on a sunny winter’s day in Blackpool, City find themselves out of two cup competitions inside about twenty four hours when in balance the luck was just against them. On the plus side it was good to see these players play so well after not playing for a little while just needing a little shooting practice.