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Shelf Wed 1 Blackpool 0
Saturday, 27th Dec 2014 17:09 by Editor

A red card, a poor penalty conceded, a defeat on the road and a manager questioning where Lady Luck is. There is the story of 2014 in a nutshell. Whilst few expected major successes this year few will have predicted what has happened at Bloomfield Road this year. Even the biggest Oyston critic can't have expected the club to have fallen to this level of disarray and despair.

It was Wednesday who started the brighter with Chris Maguire hitting the roof of the net with a 25-yard free-kick in the second minute before his strike partner May latched on to Royston Drenthe's through-ball and lifted the ball over after being closed down by the onrushing Lewis. Lee Clark's side responded and winger Jacob Murphy curled narrowly wide of the right post from the left-hand corner of Wednesday's 18-yard box. Maguire lashed a 20-yard effort straight at Lewis midway through the half before Murphy's shot from a similar distance at the other end was comfortably dealt with by Owls keeper Keiren Westwood. However a poor foul from Chris Clarke lead to the opener as the home side were awarded a penalty with Maguire firing into the right corner. Chris Eagles almost restored parity within a minute but, after breaking free on the left, the winger's powerful strike flashed marginally wide with Westwood beaten.

Blackpool substitute Nathan Delfouneso, a first-half replacement for Steven Davies, saw his curling effort from 15 yards palmed away by the diving Westwood in the opening minute of the second period. The Owls went close to doubling their advantage in the 50th minute when Maguire's low cross from the left deflected off a Blackpool defender and looped on to Lewis' crossbar. Wednesday midfielder Lewis McGugan went through on goal four minutes later following a neat interchange between Drenthe and May, but Lewis was alert to smother the ball at the feet of the on-loan Watford man. Drenthe then smashed a dipping left-foot shot inches over from 20 yards before Blackpool striker Miller was booked for turning Tony McMahon's centre into the Wednesday goal with a hand. Scotland international May headed Drenthe's cross towards goal in the 69th minute, only to be denied by a superb stop from visiting keeper Lewis. Lewis' opposite number Westwood then went one better, somehow repelling Miller's three-yard header before the ball was hacked clear. Blackpool, who remain 10 points adrift of safety and have failed to win away all season, saw their day go from bad to worse in the final moments when Miller was shown a second yellow card following a late tackle on defender Tom Lees.

Boxing Day typified a dire and desperate situation and one that doesn't look like being resolved at any point soon.

Photo: Action Images



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