Post Blackpool manager reaction

Last updated : 05 October 2008 By Michael Morris

Paul Parry put the visitors ahead seven minutes from time but in the last minute of injury time Alan Gow rifled in a leveller.

Jones said: "That was hard to swallow - five minutes of extra playing time in the second half when there was only three minutes in the first when more players were going down.

"However, those minutes don't really matter. We should have closed the game down but instead for the first time in the match our defence backed off."

The manager continued: "The backing off meant that their player had time to chest it down, turn and shoot. It was a game we should have won. The conditions were difficult but we got the ball down and tried to play football."

The moment's relaxation with only 20 seconds left on the clock allowed Blackpool substitute Gow the opportunity to equalise with his classy finish when all seemed lost for the Seasiders.

Gow, who is on loan from Rangers, made his first appearance in front of Blackpool's home crowd, coming on for Steve Kabba after 77 minutes.

His goal, and the earlier finish for Cardiff by Welsh international Parry, were two of the few moments of skill in the match. Both sides found it difficult to control the ball in the gale-lashed two-sided ground.

Blackpool - more used to the conditions - started brightly and Gary Taylor-Fletcher should have done better than to shoot straight at Tom Heaton after seven minutes.

Blackpool's dangerman was Adam Hammill. He managed to weave his way through the City defence several times but there was no colleague to get on the end of his crosses.

City got into their stride after half an hour and Blackpool's goal was lucky to survive courtesy of some last-ditch defending and some profligate finishing by the City forwards.

The worst offender was Joe Ledley with two bad misses swiftly followed by similar attempts from Roger Johnson and Jay Bothroyd.

That poor finishing continued until the 83rd minute when a period of Blackpool pressure ended with Johnson making a massive clearance. Parry controlled well and beat Paul Rachubka with a low curling shot.

Blackpool manager Simon Grayson said: "It has been a difficult three-match week for us and we began to look a bit leggy.

"Our creativity particularly in the opposition territory was not as good as it has been.

"There is a very fine balance between sides in the Championship and really we gave them a breakaway goal. Before that we defended well. They had the shots but very few troubled our keeper.

"I realised we had to take a bit of a gamble late on. I took off Steve Kabba and Ben Burgess, who have been so good for us of late, but it worked and Alan Gow scored a quality finish.

"We didn't sign him to play in the reserves but he is fit now and showed what he can do. The places are there to compete for."

Sporting Life