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A stunning overhead kick from Curtis Tilt rescued League One play-off chasers Blackpool a point in a dramatic draw at home to Plymouth.
The toothless Seasiders had trailed with six minutes to go following goals from Freddie Ladapo and Ryan Edwards.
But they turned on the style in the closing stages, with Marc Bola's goal setting up a grandstand finish.
The unlikely comeback was complete when Tilt smashed home in stoppage time.
The visitors had got off to a dream start when Ladapo converted a Ruben Lameiras cross in the fourth minute.
Lameiras shot just wide for the visitors after 26 minutes, before Jamie Ness blazed over from distance before the break as Plymouth kept up the pressure.
Edwards doubled the visitors' lead when he headed home Graham Carey's free-kick in the 73rd minute.
Bola pulled a goal back from the edge of the box to set up a tense finish and Tilt then scored one of the goals of the season to keep Blackpool's promotion hopes alive.
‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’
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Plymouth Argyle Post Match Thread on 21:41 - Mar 30 with 151 views
‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’
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Plymouth Argyle Post Match Thread on 21:45 - Mar 30 with 148 views
‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’
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Plymouth Argyle Post Match Thread on 10:10 - Mar 31 with 140 views
‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’
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Plymouth Argyle Post Match Thread on 19:16 - Mar 31 with 129 views
It can be no coincidence that in two of the three home games that have followed the post-Oyston era, the Seasiders have rescued late points in the dying stages.
Blackpool’s reunited and rejuvenated fanbase is fast becoming the team’s 12th man and against Plymouth Argyle on Saturday they made the difference.
For too long we became accustomed to seeing an empty shell of a ground where matches were played out in front of an eerie silence, aside from the individual shouts and instructions from the players on the pitch.
But that’s no longer the case. Whatever happens on the field and whatever the scoreline, those in the terraces are now providing unwavering support. That was reflected in Saturday’s atmosphere, with the 600 or so Plymouth fans who made the long trip from Devon also playing their part.
We all kid ourselves that we watch football to see our teams be successful and for them to climb the league table. But in reality that’s not the case.
This sport is about much more than that. It’s about those magic moments that will stay with you and be a constant reminder of why you support and love your football club, the delirium you experience when your team scores a goal. Surely it’s those moments Blackpool fans have missed most in their painful four-year boycott.
In 2016 I spent a few days in France for England’s failed European Championship campaign, the one that ended with the Three Lions being unceremoniously dumped out by Iceland. Yes, I know, you had all managed to wipe it from memory before I dragged it back up.
It was a disastrous tournament, and yet personally I will always look back on it with fond memories for the sheer elation and unbridled joy that greeted Daniel Sturridge’s stoppage-time winner against Wales among the 3,000 or 4,000 in the Lens fanzone. For a few seconds it felt like nothing else mattered in life, it almost feels like an out-of-body experience.
I can only imagine that’s what it feels like for a footballer when they score an important goal, as Curtis Tilt managed in the most outrageous manner on Saturday.
For 85 minutes, the Seasiders were dire and failed to create a single chance of note. But in the minutes that followed, Bloomfield Road came alive.
Of course you want success to go hand-in-hand with those spine-tingling moments of celebration, but it’s not always possible. Only three sides can get promoted from League One, so it’s inevitable that most will be left feeling disappointed.
For football fans it’s about escapism and enjoying and making the most of the journey along the way.
On the pitch, it was another bad day at the office for Blackpool — a worrying trend that, Bradford City aside, doesn’t appear to be dissipating anytime soon.
The Seasiders were well off the pace and they could have had no complaints had they been beaten 3-0, such was the lacklustre nature of their performance.
In fact, a defeat by a three-goal margin looked very much on the cards when Graham Carey smashed a free-kick towards the far corner of the net, only for Christoffer Mafoumbi to make a miraculous fingertip save to push it onto the post.
Had that gone in, at a time when the visitors led 2-0, the game would have been done and dusted. As it turned out, Mafoumbi’s save proved to be a crucial game-changing moment.
While it was a day to forget for Pool’s forwards, it was certainly one to remember for their defenders — two in particular that rescued Terry McPhillips’ men.
Marc Bola got the ball rolling when he lashed an inconspicuous volley on his weak foot into the bottom corner to reduce the deficit, after Plymouth had deservedly raced into a two-goal lead with strikes in either half.
That gave Pool hope and sparked a late fightback, which ended in the most dramatic of circumstances when Tilt launched into an overhead kick which ended with the ball flying into the bottom corner. Bedlam ensued.
The players showed grit and determination, as they often do, to earn themselves a late point they didn’t really deserve.
Pool were flat, they were laboursome, yet they still managed to claw themselves back into it and claim a point. This isn’t the first time this has happened, either.
But the fans deserve huge credit as well, their unwavering support constantly driving the team forward when they were unable to get a foothold in the game. The North Stand in particular provided incessant chanting even when their team was two goals behind.
There was a specific period at the start of the second half, when it just wasn’t happening for the Seasiders on the pitch, when the fans continued to sing non-stop. It shows you what a difference the fanbase can make.
Unfortunately the players couldn’t repay their faith with a home win, something Blackpool have been in short supply of in 2019. In fact the Seasiders have managed to win just once at home since the start of December.
With Doncaster Rovers winning yet again, the play-offs now appear a long shot. Pool have left themselves with too much to do and time is running out. To steal a top six spot McPhillips’ men would have to go on an exceptional run, which seems unlikely given their remaining fixtures.
If Pool don’t finish in a play-off place, they’ll just have to settle for being a proper football club again. As consolations go, it’s not a bad one.
‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’
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Plymouth Argyle Post Match Thread on 19:40 - Mar 31 with 125 views
Fantastic to listen to all these Blackpool fans summing up how it feels to be back at Bloomfield Rd. Get yourselves down to Bloomfield Rd and be part of this! #1234.... https://t.co/jqdhsqiIeu
— BST (Blackpool Supporters Trust) (@BlackpoolST) March 30, 2019
Learning to read clusters is not something your eyes do naturally. It takes constant practice.
💭 "The ball has come into the box, I’ve seen Nya going to knock it back across and it was just a little bit behind me, so I just thought I’d try an overhead kick."
Plymouth Argyle boss believes Blackpool's unwavering support made the difference in Saturday's 2-2 draw at Bloomfield Road.
The away side appeared to be coasting towards an away win when they led 2-0 with 85 minutes on the clock thanks to goals from Freddie Ladapo and Ryan Edwards.
But Blackpool, who had previously been well below-par, launched an unlikely comeback when Marc Bola reduced the deficit in the 85th-minute before Curtis Tilt produced a spectacular stoppage-time overhead kick to snatch a point for the Seasiders.
It was reminiscent of Blackpool's 2-2 draw against Southend United for the club's homecoming clash in March, when Terry McPhillips' men also scored late on to earn a draw.
Plymouth boss Adams believes it was the 8,343 strong crowd that inspired Pool to get a result against his side.
"The Blackpool fans helped their team immensely with the atmosphere in the stadium," Adams said.
"It has happened a few times recently where they have sucked the ball into the back of the net for them — that’s what they did again.
“The Green Army were here and were terrific for us. Unfortunately, there were a lot more Blackpool fans here and they created a very good atmosphere for their team, and that is what is required. That’s what the Argyle fans give us.
“We’ve added a point to our total. We feel we should have had three points but the great travelling support that we had here saw a very good Argyle performance.
“We’ve lost four points in the last two games from wining positions. That sometimes happens, but we’ve put ourselves in that winning position and we’ve competed well with a team that is sitting eighth in the league.”
Terry McPhillips admits Jordan Thompson was fit and available to play at the weekend despite not being included in Blackpool's squad for the 2-2 draw against Plymouth Argyle.
The midfielder had just returned from international duty with Northern Ireland but McPhillips opted against naming the 21-year-old in his 18-man squad.
The Pool boss decided to stick with the same starting line-up and bench that was named for the 4-1 win at Bradford City in the previous fixture.
It meant there was no room for Donervon Daniels, Ollie Turton or Callum Guy either.
“There was no Jordan, while Donervon and Ollie didn’t make it either," McPhillips said. "We thought we’d give those two a little bit longer. Same for Callum Guy as well.
“It’s a big squad and everyone is fit bar Jimmy Ryan and Max Clayton when it comes to the outfield players.
“It’s a competitive squad and after last week’s result you go with the same squad because it makes sense.
“No one was knocking on my door for that but maybe they will after this result.
“Jordan is 100 per cent unlucky not to be in the squad, that’s not the nice part of the job telling someone they’re not in the 18.
“If it wasn’t Jordan it was someone else. He’s a hell of a player but so is Donervon.
“Callum Guy is just getting back and so is Ollie Turton, so they were easier decisions.
“But we’ve got a (behind closed doors) game on Tuesday which will give some of the lads a chance to showcase themselves.”
[Post edited 1 Apr 2019 23:35]
‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’
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