As many of you will be aware, I have the pleasure of travelling to away games with the team and coaching staff, Saturday was no different, a pre-match meal in hotel in deepest East Lancashire was the manager's preference, as a result my usual Saturday ritual of bacon, egg, sausage, tomato, fried bread, mushrooms, back pudding and toast was replaced by boiled chicken, pasta and scrambled eggs, not since the last night out have had chicken at 9am!
Having devoured the pre-match meal it was off down the M65 and to the place adjacent to the National Football Museum, surprisingly my rotund build was not commented on by the three or four opposition supporters who kindly met the team coach to offer a typical welcome.
Having exchanged pleasantries with my counter part in the tunnel area of the ground, I headed off to the press box to brief my colleagues on the team news, a normal practice at most away games. As I headed to the press box behind the main stand I encountered Mr Jobsworth who had the personality of my mother-in-law, fortunately I have not spoken to her since the wedding reception, however I cannot say the same about my new friend!
Finally I arrived at the back of the stand and poured myself in to the work station allocated to the visiting website team and off we went!
Simon Grayson made one change to the side that drew with Scunthorpe United with goal scorer Michael Flynn replacing David Fox who joined Scott Vernon, Keigan Parker, Ian Evatt andAndy Welsh on the bench.
With tangerine balloons blowing around the stadium, the home side got things underway attacking the end where the mass of Tangerine and empty seats were situated, quite how the homeside didn't sell out is beyond me.
Pool started brightly and forced an early corner after Andy Morrell's teasing cross was headed behind. Wes Hoolahan sporting a snazzy pair of white boots floated over the resulting corner which almost fell to Kaspars Gorkss, the hosts eventually cleared although within a minute Pool earned another corner with Andy Morrell intelligently playing the ball against a defender and out for a set play. Once again Hoolahan's cross was intended for Gorkss but the corner was slightly over hit and eventually cleared.
Stephen Crianey's poor headed clearance gave the home team their first real attempt on goal when the hosts tried his luck from 20 yards, fortunately for Pool his effort flew wide. A minute later Claus Jorgensen was forced to turn behind for a corner as the hosts stepped up the pressure.
The quarter hour mark saw the first taste of Wes Hoolahan, the diminutive Irishman weaved his magic to beat his man before cross to Gary Tylor-Fletcher who saw his first time effort fly just wide.
Pool should have been one up on 20 minutes, Wes Hoolahan threaded a great ball to Michael Flynn who exchanged a great one two with Ben Buurgess to burst forward, but Flynn was to be denied by Lonergan, the hosts then failed to clear the danger and the ball fell to Ben Burgess who was denied by a fantastic save from Lonergan.
At the other end Kaspars Gorkss turned a Simon Whalley cross behind for a corner on 25 minutes the Pool defence stood firm and cleared the danger.
Paul Rachubka was forced to punch clear another corner the half hour whilst Ben Burgess almost got on the end of a Stephen Crainey cross after a swift counter down the Pool left.
Patrick Aygemang showed his pace and threat on 33 minutes to race away from the Seasiders defence fortunately for Simon Grayson the former Wimbledon man was forced wide and couldn't finish which allowed the Pool defence to recover and clear their lines.
Paul Rachubka was forced to make two good saves in the space of seconds as the game became more open.
Despite both sides enjoying half chances before the interval the score remained 0-0 at the break.
The second half was less than a minute old when Andy Morrell scampered down the inside left channel, Morrell forced wide by the defenders once again intelligently earned Pool an early corner, however, the Seasiders failed to make the most of the set play and the hosts cleared.
Pool through Claus Jorgensen had the ball in the back of the net on 57minutes but the effort was chalked out by the linesman for offside.
A minute later St Ledger fired towards goal from 8 yards but saw it blocked by the Pool defence, the resultant corner is headed wide as the hosts continued to press and probe Pool.
Pool made their first change of the afternoon when Ian Evatt replaced skipper Michael Jackson who looked dead on his feet following a stomach upset and within two minutes of the change Pool had taken the lead, Ben Burgess got on a great Wes Hoolahan through ball only to upended inside the box, Mark Clattenburg had no hesitation and pointed to the spot, WES HOOLAHAN stepped up and cheekily chipped beyond Longergan to cement his name in Blackpool folk law.
The Seasiders defence continued to absorb the pressure thrown at them by the home team and on 74 minutes Pool made a second change with Keigan Parker replacing Gary Taylor-Fletcher, the change saw Morrell switch to the right and Parker join bearded big Ben Burgess up top.
With four minutes before the end Pool finally had some luck where officials are concerned, Kaspars Gorkss and Neil Mellor were tugging and pull each other on the edge of the area, the tussling continued as Mellor headed into the area Gorkss appeared to foul the former Liverpool man, fortunately for Pool Mark Clattenburg adjudged the incident to be outside the area and the home side wasted the resulting set play.
In stoppage time, Pool were indebted to the woodwork when a 25-yard free kick rebounded off the bar, after the ensuing scramble Pool managed to clear their lines and hold on for a vital three points.
If Simon Grayson is in the Blackpool area in the next week and finds himself wanting a beer, I guarantee that there will be queue a mile long wanting to buy the Pool boss a pint and discuss what was another memorable day!
POOL: Rachubka, Barker, Jackson (Evatt 64), Gorkss, Crainey, Taylor-Fletcher (Parker 74), Flynn, Jorgensen, Hoolahan (Welsh 90), Burgess, Morrell Subs Not Used: Fox, Vernon
