The Seasiders reserve team kept up their decent form of late on Wednesday by beating Lancashire rivals Rochdale 3-1 at Bloomfield Road.

Pool who included Phil Doughty and Simon Wiles who had played 50 minutes the night were much the better side but were indebted to the fact Rochdale had their keeper sent off mid-way through the first half, up until then the game was a fairly even contest, Andrew Mangan latched onto a ball over the top on three minutes and was denied by a brave piece of goalkeeping, whilst his strike partner Sean Paterson who had netted two goals for the youth team the week before showed his potential five minutes later when his first time shot from Mangan's through ball was once again saved well by the keeper.

At the other end Lewis Edge made a number of good saves to deny Rochdale's livewire strike force containing Paddy McCourt and Kevin Townson.

The deadlock was broken on 11 minutes and in all honesty it should have been the Seasiders that were a goal to the good, Sean Paterson worked an opening and crossed to Andrew Mangan who unfortunately scuffed his shot allowing 'Dale to counter at pace with Kevin Townson, racing clear before slotting past Lewis Edge.

Fifteen minutes later the game was turned on it's head when Rochdale 'keeper James Mann was shown the red card following a professional foul on Sean Paterson, Paterson picked himself up to dispatch the resulting penalty past stand in keeper James McDonagh.

On the stroke of half time Pool added a second through Kevin Brown, who nodded home Simon Wiles cross.

The interval saw Reserve team coach Simon Grayson make a double substitution with Dan Coid and Gareth Evans being replaced by Sean Lawlor and Sean Clancy.

The visitors had a great chance to make in 2-2on the hour when a misunderstanding between Phil Doughty and Lewis Edge saw Paddy McCourt hit the bar, but the tie was put out of Rochdale's reach with twenty minutes remaining when Sean Paterson fired home after the stand in keeper had fumbled Andrew Mangan's powerful strike.

Pool: Edge, Coid (S Lawlor 45), Evans (Clancy 45), Brown, Doughty, Wiles, Bagdagi, Gilston (Foran 60), Whittaker, Mangan, Paterson. Subs Not Used: Goulding, Abbott