So, our little flurry of results is over, ended on a warm summer evening on the Lancastrian coast. Perhaps, after last season’s home victory over Sheffield Wednesday, we forgot too quickly the destructive effect Sky Sports’ cameras routinely have upon us. However, this is not a defeat to brood over during the upcoming international weekend. City did not play badly, did not deserve to lose, and the season has lost none of its promise.

Phil Brown made the contentious and ultimately incorrect decision to retain the same back four that won against Norwich and Wigan, entailing as it did playing Andy Dawson at right back, an alien position for a profoundly left-footed player. Elsewhere, Caleb Folan made his debut since signing for a million pounds last week, while there were returns for Deano, Marney and Garcia as lined up in a 4-4-2 formation with: Duke; Dawson, Turner, Brown, Delaney; Garcia, Ashbee, Marney, Elliott; Windass, Folan.

The match began in an open fashion, and it was quickly apparent that in Caleb Folan, we have an energetic presence up front. He is swift, makes intelligent darting runs into space on either flank, and he proceeded to give his markers a severe examination.

However, the home side threatened first, with a speculative effort from long range requiring watchful handling by Matt Duke. However, it is good to watch, and both sides are showing enterprise in attack. For Blackpool, the lively Keigan Parker impressed, as did Wes Hoolahan – two impressive attacking players and ones who’ll do damage to the unwary throughout this season.

Despite the appealingly expansive nature of the match, chances were at a premium, although St Stuart nearly connected with a Garcia cross, Fox walloped one at Duke, Marney and smacked an effort over and Hoolahan cracked one goalwards – lots of pretty speculative efforts, but the football was rarely less than entertaining.

Indeed, it was something of a wonder that the half ended goalless, although it did so with Andy Dawson wasting a good free-kick chance – something of a feature of our play last night, frustrating. However, as the referee brought an engaging 45 minutes to a close, the Tiger Nation reflected happily upon a positive display.

Less positive is the assessment of how Blackpool treats away supporters. Upon entering Bloomfield Road, we are herded onto an exposed seated stand very much of the temporary nature – so temporary in fact, that it has stood for three years with not a hint of alteration. The renovation of their then-decrepit home began some years – that they still force visiting fans into such a miserably inadequate facilities is totally unacceptable.

It gets worse, however. For while those with memories long enough to incorporate trips to far-flung Fourth Division hovels can doubtless cope with the away stand, what truly does rankle is the appalling NuFootball (or, as they probably term it, “footy”) tendencies Blackpool fans have adopted with such tacky devotion. They have not only one drummer, but two – doubtless a brace of spotty fifteen year olds who imagine they are heroically creating an Ali Sami Yen-like arena of intimidation, when they are in fact just a pair of annoying little bastards. Drums at football should be declared and their users beaten to a bloody pulp with their own drumsticks.

This hobby horse duly dismounted, and quickly we move onto abortion of a practice – music after a goal. For the second half was no more than two minutes old when Parker hared down the wing, and his centre was met by Gary Taylor-Fletcher to give Blackpool the lead. It is a good goal, and heralded by “glad all over” blaring idiotically over the tannoy. Risible.

And justice is swiftly done as City level three minutes later, and a sparkling team goal it is as Elliott leaps to an improbable height to knock down a long cross-field ball, Folan dummies the ball where the onrushing Ashbee crashes the ball past Rachubka. Terrific stuff, and the 600 City fans present capered delightedly and upon the restoration of order, urged the side on to nab a winner that now looked likely to come from us.

However, the match, poised perfectly for the neutral viewer and brimming with promise, is brutally interrupted by a sickening injury to Caleb Folan. It seemed so innocuous too. Our new signing went up for a high ball, collapsed to the turf, and did not move. No comedy writhing, no suppressed screams of pain, he was totally motionless, clearly unconscious and the alarm among players and immediately-present medical staff was considerable.

Several minutes passed, with texts from home relating television fears of a serious neck injury leaving the medics unwilling to move him, and as both sets of players kicked balls around half-heartedly, the decision was finally taken to stretcher the stricken Folan from the ground in a neck brace to a waiting ambulance, his distress evident to all. A considerate hand was given to him by the Blackpool fans, and a standing ovation he will not have heard was afforded by the Tiger Nation as Bridges replaced him after a stopping exceeding eight minutes.

The sparkle slightly left the game. We subsequently understand that Folan regained consciousness before leaving the pitch, which one trusts his concerned team-mates will have known of, but we look flatter, and not only for his scampering nuisance up front.

However, with the ninety minutes nearly up, we spurned a golden opportunity to win the game when Marney teed up Elliott, but his thumping driving was well parried by Rachubka, who then is alert enough to foil Bridges’ follow-up effort. Great goalkeeping, although we should have taken the chance.

And City wilted after this, as the fourth official announced a quite staggering 11 minutes of injury time were to be played, a figure we may have expected but still quite a surprise to see it. Blackpool too appeared to have determined that a creditable draw was a fair outcome, when suddenly they pinched a winner. Parker evaded Brown to send in a cross, and ex-Tiger Ben Burgess towered above the exposed Andy Dawson to thud home a header.

A few minutes remained, but it is not being uncharitable to observe that our heart wasn’t really in rescuing the situation, although Dawson emboldened his detractors by firing over another well-positioned free-kick chance, and the game was lost.

A bitterly disappointing conclusion to a good game in which we did not play poorly, but were undone by defensive lapses and some indifferent finishing. Happily, we now know that Caleb Folan’s injuries are not serious and he may return to the side this month, while the arrival of Jay Jay Okocha means that while we may now lie 18^th in the table, there is every reason to suppose that our final standing may be somewhat better than that. (AD)