Coming from two goals down is a fine achievement in any circumstances – even when playing a home game against a side that, dare we say, “City should be beating”. Given that in the moments after Paul Dickov scored his second of the afternoon we looked tired, flat and disjointed, our subsequent recovery is all the more impressive. Let’s not hear any nonsense about two points dropped, let’s just take heart from our stirring fightback that earned us a point in an appealingly entertaining game.

Despite numerous concerns over player availability, Phil Brown had to make just one change to the side that won at Plymouth last, Richard Garcia’s dash home to Australia on compassionate grounds being the sole change as City lined up: Myhill; Ricketts, TurnerBrown, Dawson; France, Ashbee (c), Walton, Hughes; Windass, Campbell.

Stephen McPhee was not included in the Blackpool owing to an agreement between the two clubs struck during negotiations for his transfer, while Stuart Green only made the bench, meaning the only ex-Tiger on show for the visitors was Ben Burgess – unless you count loanee of yesteryear Gary Taylor-Fletcher, also featuring for Blackpool in a side that included the dangerous duo of Wes Hoolahan and Paul Dickov.

It was a lively opening to the game, and City nearly took lead after just two minutes when Campbell nodded on a cross from Bryan Hughes that found Deano lurking at the far post – however a stern intervention from a Blackpool defender saw the ball hurtle safely wide.

The visitors had not come for a point, to their credit, and they nearly took the lead when a slackly allowed header from a corner require Myhill to palm the ball over.

This saw the match enter a quieter period, and the pattern was disrupted even more when Bryan Hughes collapsed after an aerial challenge, his distress so apparent that the City physio had raced onto the pitch even before referee Jonathan Moss had stopped play.

Five minutes elapsed while treatment was being administered to the prone midfielder, the episode troublingly reminiscent of the endless delay at Bloomfield Road when Caleb Folan was seen leaving in a neck brace – this was Hughes’ eventual fate too, though happily we hear that no lasting harm has been sustained.

The same could not be said of City, whose fluency has recently come to rest upon Hughes’ accomplished endeavours on the wing. Nick Barmby was summoned to replace him, and sadly we must report that this move did not do us any favours.

Blackpool, backed by a following creditable both in size and volume, grew in stature as the half progress, pushing forward at every opportunity and with Dickov and Burgess enjoying some success against TurnerBrown it was no great surprise when they took the lead close to half-time.

A hefty lump forward saw Myhill make a doomed attempt to collect the ball near to the edge of his area, Taylor-Fletcher flicked the ball on and Dickov had an empty goal to head the ball into. A dire moment for Myhill, and sloppy defending from City.

We nearly went into the break two goals down as City’s discipline deserted them, and Jorgensen had a chance to score, though a timely intervention from Turner saw the ball deflected wide.

A brace of cautions saw us into the break with tempers fraying on both sides, Barmby and (importantly) Gorkks joining Burgess in Mr Moss’ notebook, and after six minutes of injury time he blew for half-time.

It took just four minutes for Blackpool to score their second, and again some highly defective decision-making in the City defence was responsible. Paul Dickov nipped ahead of Michael Turner to fasten onto the ball about fifteen yards from goal, he smartly turned his marker and adroitly attempted lob Myhill, whose positioning was quite ghastly. The ball sailed high and over the City keeper, and plopped with an almost audible sigh into the net. A great finish, but wretched defending.

Despair. This was supposed to be a match in which our play-off credentials would be proven, the day we’d finally make the top six, an occasion to justify the Hull Daily Mail’s (self-serving) hype and to vindicate the thrilling vein of optimism the club is attempting to mine.

As the stewards and constabulary ejected a handful of over-exuberant away fans – one tubby gentlemen in a Blackpool away shirt looking puzzlingly surprised that shoving a policeman would not be viewed too sympathetically, City sought a way back with the introduction of Caleb Folan for the (frankly poor) Simon Walton.

He again made a superb impact coming on, scoring a minute later with a neat left-footed tap-in after some fleet-footed work on the left by Fraizer Campbell. This spurred the crowd on, and much of the rest of the game was conducted in the Blackpool half as the Tigers poured forward in search of a result.

Twenty minutes from time, City equalised. Sam Ricketts had taken on plenty of attacking duties in the absence of his usual right-sided partner-in-crime, and it was from his efforts that the Tigers levelled – he wriggled into space, sent over a floating cross that sailed merrily over Rachubka’s head and was eventually bundled home by Dean Windass from a distance even closer than his tap-in at Plymouth a week ago.

The City fans rejoiced fervently and urged the Tigers forward in search of a winning goal, although Hoolahan nearly punctured the atmosphere with a rasping drive that Myhill shovelled uncertainly away. Ben Burgess was happily off balance when the ball came his way and he spooned the ball safety over.

Dean Marney was introduced for Dean Windass, whose unwillingness to exit the fray was very thinly disguised. He was to be vindicated, as his departure robbed us of a focal point for attacks. Stuart Green also came on for Blackpool, and was given a somewhat unfriendly welcome. Good.

We were to be given a boost in the quest for victory ten minutes from time, as Kaspars Gorkks was shown his second yellow card for a late tackle on Marney as the City midfielder sought to burst down the right. A straightforward decision for Mr Moss, and the Tigers had ten minutes in which to force a winner.

Sadly, it was not to be – Blackpool hoisted the drawbridge up and although City totally dominated possession we were unable to create too many clear chances, and four minutes of injury time passed without any major scares for the visitors.

Entertaining stuff, although there was a tinge of regret that we couldn’t quite complete the comeback with a winner that’d have shook the ground, though been a little harsh on a slick Blackpool side who deserved a point for their toils.

Given what could have been, it’s maybe a shame we failed to beat a side at home whose destiny appears to be a bottom half finish, but having ground out a brace of dogged victories, let’s content ourselves with seven points from three games – play-off form, certainly.

One-third of this compelling season remains – we lie eighth, now level on points with sixth-placed Ipswich, and with a game in hand. Tuesday night takes us to a rapidly-improving Norwich, while next Saturday sees the visit of an ailing Colchester. In the final reckoning, this hard-fought point may prove to be a very useful one. (AD)