Blackpool looked lively in the opening exchanges with Grabovac and then Shaw getting in behind the Town defence, but a lack of control let the visitors down on both occasions.

Town should have taken the lead after Fallini did well to play John Grant in behind the visitors defence, Grant did well to control the ball in the area and then played in a lovely cut back to Ross Stephens but he skewed his header wide of Abbott's goal.

Blackpool were getting a number of shots in on Joe Hart's goal but the shots lacked that little bit of quality to beat the Town keeper, the best effort came from Stuart Anderson after he'd shown good pace to latch onto a through ball but his shot was straight into Hart's body.

Blackpool had a great chance to take the lead on 20-minutes when Paul Edwards showed good skill down the left, he went past Gavin Cadwallader and towards the by-line, he put in lovely inviting cross in Town's 6-yard box where Matthew Shaw was totally unmarked but luckily for Town he put his header well wide of Hart's farpost.

Joe Abbot in the Blackpool was having a relatively quiet game but he had to be alert after Liam Murray got in behind the defence following a Town free-kick, the Town left-back got up well to try and nod the ball over the Abbot but the Blackpool keeper was up well to snatch the ball off Murray's head.

Blackpool were restricting Town to very few chances and what chances they did get were long-range efforts, one of the best coming after Cadwallader picked the ball up in front of the dugouts, he then played a great crossfield ball to find Ciaran Lyng in the Blackpool area but Abbot was equal to his header.

Half-time: 0-0

Blackpool had another great chance to take the lead just after the restart, Simon Wiles powered down the right past Murray and then put in an inviting cross to the near post that Matthew Shaw met well but he put the ball the wrong side of the post.

The visitors had another great chance after a great ball from midfield put Shaw in behind the Town defence, he had only Hart to beat and put in a good low drive but Hart stood up well and got his body behind the ball to block.

Blackpool's pressure finally paid off on 60-minutes when a good flowing move saw the ball with Stuart Anderson just outside the Town box, he rolled the ball to his right to put in Jamie Burns and he kept his nerve to smash a low drive to Hart's left that gave him no chance.Blackpool had the ball in the net again moments later after Stuart Anderson had put a superb drive past Joe Hart but the linesman came to Town's rescue with his flag.

Paul Edwards had been having a good game for the visitors and was causing Town all sorts of problems down the left, he did well and switched play over to Sean Patterson who pushed for the by-line and whipped in an inviting cross to find Anderson but he put his header over the Town bar.

Blackpool were nearly in again after Fallini gave the ball away in midfield, Jamie Burns picked the ball up and played in an inviting cross that found Matthew Shaw unmarked in the 6-yard box, but the Blackpool forward was unsighted and he failed to control the ball and the danger was gone.

Town should have been level on 80-minutes when a high ball from midfield found the head of John Grant in the Blackpool box, he nodded the ball back across goal to find Ross Stephens but he managed to put his header wide of the gapping net.

Moments later Town had another good effort on goal after the ball was played into John Grant, he chested the ball down and played it to his right for Stephens, he did an excellent flick to switch play to the right wing for Tim Aldridge, he cut in towards the Blackpool goal and drilled in a low shot which flew just wide of Abbott's goal.

The best chances were still coming from the visitors and as the game neared the end Matthew Shaw put in an excellent long-range effort that looked to be doing in the top corner until Joe Hart got across quickly to save.

Full-time: 0-1

Town: Joe Hart, Gavin Cadwallader, Liam Murray, Dave Ridler (Henry Goh 46), Gary Price, Carl Clampitt(c), Tim Aldridge, Luke Fallini, John Grant, Ross Stephens, Ciaran Lyng

Subs: Ian Havard, Rob Egginton, Eddie Hope, George Hughes

Blackpool: Joe Abbott, Leam Richardson (Jonathon Goulding 75), Gareth Evans (Sean Clancey 75), Stuart Anderson, Matthew Lawlor, Stephen McMahon, Simon Wiles (Sean Patterson 55), Jamie Burns, Zarko Grabovac, Matthew Shaw, Paul Edwards

Subs: Matthew Gilson, James Foran