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Burnley and Blackpool played each other last season for the first time in league games since our promotion in 1999/2000. On that occasion we won at home and drew away but last season it was reversed with Blackpool picking up a point at the Turf and beating us comfortably at home.
No doubt we'll be looking to get the better of them this time round and finally we are going into a game on the back of a league victory. Last season we never made the most of our home wins in not following them up with wins on the Turf, this season that is exactly what we have to do.
Blackpool ended their first season back in the Championship with a narrow escape against relegation, only ensuring safety on the final day of the season, although the point they won against Watford wasn't in the end necessary.
Since the season ended manager Simon Grayson has, I think it is fair to say, been very busy in the transfer market, bringing in no fewer than thirteen new signings including five on loan.
The first of the permanent signings was that of Marlon Broomes from Stoke, a player who six years ago was on trial with the Clarets before signing for Preston. He was followed by Matthew Gilks (Norwich), Alex Baptiste (Mansfield), Joe Martin (Tottenham) and Jermaine Wright (Southampton).
Other permanent signings since then have been Daniel Nardiello from QPR, David Vaughan who cost £200,000 from Real Sociadad and Rob Edwards from Wolves.
To add to that they have made the five loan signings including one former Claret and one player we looked odds on to sign. The former Claret is left back Mo Camara who has now extended his loan to a second month to cover for the injured Stephen Crainey, and the one who we thought we might be signing is Alan Gow who somehow thought Blackpool was in Scotland.
The other three are Steven Kabba (Watford), Adam Hammill (Liverpool) and Zesh Rehman, and all are on loan term loans.
The season got off to a difficult start with just the one point from the first three games, but successive wins have seen them climb into the top half of the table.
There's no doubt that Simon Grayson will be looking for his side to finish considerably higher than their finish last season, time will tell whether all the new signings and loan players can bring that.
Blackpool are definitely without Stephen Crainey and Stephen McPhee tonight. Crainey has just had groin surgery and his place at left back will be taken by Mo Camara. McPhee has had a tear in his calf and is still some weeks away from being fit.
However, they are the only problems for Simon Grayson who has some choices to make. Just as was the case with the Clarets on Saturday all their three substitutes made an impact in their 1-0 win over Barnsley.
They were midfielders Keith Southern and David Vaughan along with forward Daniel Nardiello, and all three could be considered, but should Grayson continue with the eleven who have won their last two games they will line up as follows:
Paul Rachubka, Shaun Barker, Rob Edwards, Ian Evatt, Mo Camara, Gary Taylor-Fletcher, David Fox, Claus Jorgensen, Adam Hammill, Steven Kabba, Ben Burgess. Subs: Danny Coid, Zesh Rehman, Keith Southern, David Vaughan, Daniel Nardiello.
Owen Coyle is in very much the same position with all his three substitutes from Saturday having impressed during their time on the pitch. Any of them could find themselves in the starting line up.
We're also boosted with the return to fitness of left back Christian Kalvenes. He missed the game on Saturday with a groin injury and was replaced by Stephen Jordan, but he will be in the squad tonight.
The only players ruled out are Chris Eagles and Alex MacDonald. Eagles is serving the second of a three match ban whilst MacDonald has a knee injury.
I would not be surprised to see us start with the same eleven as Saturday and that would be: Brian Jensen, Russell Anderson, Clarke Carlisle, Steven Caldwell, Stephen Jordan, Graham Alexander, Wade Elliott, Kevin McDonald, Chris McCann, Steven Thompson, Martin Paterson. Subs from: Diego Penny, Christian Kalvenes, Joey Gudjonsson, Alan Mahon, Robbie Blake, Ade Akinbiyi.
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The first half was a quiet affair and other than a miss from Chris McCann much of it passed with little action, that was until the last few minutes of the half. First McCann rattled the underside of the Blackpool bar with Rachubka beaten and then the assistant incredibly missed an clear offside which allowed Keigan Parker to break. Thankfully he was stopped by Clarke Carlisle and then Brian Jensen.
Steve Cotterill had played Jon Harley on the left hand side of midfield but replaced him with Steve Jones at half time, and the substitute delivered just seven minutes in albeit somewhat fortuitously. His shot was without doubt off target and was deflected in off Crainey, but who cares we were a goal up.
Blackpool's equaliser was controversial. We'd just had a penalty claim turned down when Andy Gray went down in the box. Whether it was or not, it was certainly a bigger claim for a penalty than the one referee Mike Dean gave when Andy Morrell chose to go down under challenge from Carlisle.
Wes Hoolihan scored and for a time it looked as though it would end in a draw, then our second substitute Ade Akinbiyi restored the lead. It came from a Wade Elliott cross that found Ade, but the striker still had a lot to do. He turned superbly before hitting his shot home and then treated those in the Jimmy Mac Lower to a view of his bare torso as the shirt came off.
Game over, three points, well it should have been. But in stoppage time a double howler from Brian Jensen presented Morrell with the easiest of chances and it all ended at 2-2, with no doubt at all that two points had been lost.
The teams were;
Burnley: Brian Jensen, Michael Duff, Clarke Carlisle, Steven Caldwell, Stephen Jordan, Wade Elliott (John Spicer 89), Graham Alexander, Chris McCann, Jon Harley (Steve Jones 45), Robbie Blake (Ade Akinbiyi 76), Andy Gray. Subs not used: Gabor Kiraly, David Unsworth.
Blackpool: Paul Rachubka, Shaun Barker, Ian Evatt, Michael Jackson, Stephen Crainey, Keigan Parker (Ben Burgess 71), David Fox, Keith Southern (Michael Flynn 88), Wes Hoolihan, Andy Morrell, Gary Taylor-Fletcher (Andy Welsh 62). Subs not used: Kaspars Gorkss, Scott Vernon.
Previous 20 Seasons | |||||
Season | Div | Ven | Result | Att | Scorers |
1989/90 | LC | a | 2-2 | 4,540 | White Mumby |
| . | . | h | 0-1 | 6,085 | . |
| . | FA | a | 0-1 | 7,790 | . |
1990/91 | 4 | a | 2-1 | 4,737 | Deary Mumby |
| . | . | h | 2-0 | 18,395 | Eli Futcher(pen) |
1991/92 | AM | a | 3-1 | 2,802 | Francis Eli(2) |
| . | 4 | a | 2-5 | 8,007 | Conroy Francis |
| . | . | h | 1-1 | 18,183 | Eli |
1992/93 | 2 | a | 3-1 | 7,942 | Harper Farrell Penney |
| . | AM | a | 3-1 | 2,979 | Conroy(2) Farrell |
| . | 2 | h | 2-2 | 12,475 | Heath Francis |
1993/94 | 2 | h | 3-1 | 18,165 | Farrell Russell Francis |
| .99 | . | a | 2-1 | 7,956 | Eyres Francis |
1995/96 | 2 | h | 0-1 | 10,082 | . |
| . | . | a | 1-3 | 8,941 | Nogan |
1996/97 | 2 | h | 2-0 | 13,599 | Gleghorn Nogan |
| . | . | a | 3-1 | 7,331 | Barnes(3) |
1997/98 | 2 | a | 1-2 | 7,429 | Creaney |
| . | . | h | 1-2 | 13,413 | Payton |
1998/99 | 2 | h | 1-0 | 11,925 | Payton(pen) |
| . | . | a | 2-0 | 5,658 | Payton Little |
1999/2000 | 2 | h | 1-0 | 12,898 | Mellon |
| . | . | a | 1-1 | 8,029 | Branch |
2002/03 | LC | h | 3-0 | 7,448 | West Papadopoulos(2) |
2007/08 | C | h | 2-2 | 16,843 | Jones Akinbiyi |
| . | . | a | 1-1 | 9,599 | . |