Blackpool it is then, early morning start, motorway miles slip by gauged only by a white dial reaching the red.

Refuelled, tram tracks, the promenade, a brown sea, giant black sculptures sway like fly swatters waiting to splat.

Park, obligatory fish and chips, find our fans and real ale, the Auctioneer the Wetherspoons of choice.

To the ground, last away game of the season, sun, superheroes, costume party, wizards of oz, nuns and even a thin Friar Tuck.

You want to be happy, you want to have fun.

Game underway, in a temporary stand, warnings of standing, we bounce but very gingerly as echoes vibrate like waves, safe standing this is not. Add a giant pillar obscuring the far goal and the pitch, more bobbles than your dad’s favourite jumper, would grace Sunday League football but only just and the picture is complete.

Derby form a 4-4-2 Jamie Ward and Conor Sammon lead the line and for fifteen minutes the game bumps and grinds it way along like progression on a cakewalk, it’s a dire directionless start.

Blackpool open the scoring a shot is stopped on the line by John Brayford and Gary Taylor-Fletcher reacts the quickest and the Seasider’s are one up after eighteen minutes.

A tinge of Tangerine exists with the men in black. Number 42 Kirk Broadfoot, a chunky rugged six foot right full back rolls as tumbleweed under a shoulder charge by Ward.

Two penalty appeals; a white shirt is brought down, nothing given and then a “wonga.com” falls over Craig Bryson’s leg, the referee is unimpressed by the flag over the chest of the linesman seals the deal.

Justice done as Thomas Ince hits the inside of the post from the spot kick.

In the stands we soak up the sun and pass in the time honoured way by expressing our opinion of the officials and the ground loving tangerines.

Second half and we alternate between 4-5-1 and 4-3-3 as Adam Legzdins is the busier keeper and Brayford clears off the line.

With thirty minutes left Sammon, perhaps seeing an opportunity on the beach comes off and Ben Davies enters the fray. Chris Martin is now the sole man up front, yet within three minutes we are level, Davies with a soft lob which looked innocuous but despite the lack of pace the positioning of the shot was spot on and the scores level.

We pressed, then Kieron Freeman was chosen to replace Will Hughes, Davies moving into the centre, Michael Jacobs took over from Ward and we closed the game under the cosh.

With ninety minutes up, Ludovic Sylvestre on the edge of the Derby box volleyed powerfully home and the Seasider’s wrap up the game and the points needed to secure their survival.

Year on year progress was the plan, a promise now broken, we will have fewer points than last season and with that resolution now cast to the wind can we now have change please.

Photo: Action Images

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