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Blackburn 2-2 Blackpool: Adam free-kick, Samba great-strike
An injury-time equaliser from David Hoilett secured a crucial 2-2 draw for Blackburn Rovers against Blackpool in the Premier League, Saturday 19/03/2011.
Hoilett struck in the 93rd minute, as Richard Kingson spilled a long Paul Robinson free-kick to secure a share of the spoils for Rovers.
Adam had scored twice in four first-half minutes - drilling home a controversial penalty, before curling in a sumptuous free-kick to put Blackpool in the ascendancy.
However, a low Chris Samba drive shortly after half-time cut the arrears and set up a tense finale; from which, persistent Blackburn pressure told as Hoilett grabbed the all-important late equaliser.
With both sides sitting perilously close to the relegation zone in the table, there was always going to be an air of tension that gripped Ewood Park.
This was summed up in an opening twenty minutes where free-kicks were constantly exchanged and play became an ultimately scrappy affair.
Steve Kean's Blackburn were the first to create a clear-cut chance in the 18th minute; Steven N'Zonzi heading the ball wide of goal after Blackpool had failed to sufficiently deal with a looping Brett Emerton corner.
That opening seemed to wake up the visitors though and, just three minutes later, Luke Varney thought that he had put his side ahead, after prodding home a beautifully-whipped Adam free-kick.
However, the Tangerines striker was correctly ruled offside, but what angered Ian Holloway's men was the delay in making the decision - the flag appearing from the assistant referee late after Varney had applied his finish.
Blackpool, though, were not to be undone and had the rub of the good luck in the decision to award Adam's opening penalty in the 25th minute.
Referee Howard Webb adjudged Blackburn defender Ryan Nelsen to have tripped Gary Taylor-Fletcher, after the midfielder received a smart, reverse pass from teammate Jason Puncheon. Although, on closer inspection, their appeared to be minimal contact.
Adam paid Blackburn no sympathies, however, in sending 'keeper Robinson the wrong way and sliding the ball into the bottom right-hand corner of the net to give Blackpool the lead.
If there was controversy in the visitors' opener, then there was no doubting the quality of the second, as Adam curled a sublime free-kick into the roof of the net and past a stricken Robinson just four minutes after the Tangerines had put their noses in front.
The two goals sapped the energy out of Blackburn and, apart from a couple of tame efforts from Samba and Hoilett, went into the half-time break with their heads firmly down.
However, Rovers came out for the second-half with all guns blazing and cut their deficit in half through Samba in the 49th minute.
Kingson, who had looked unconvincing when coming for crosses all afternoon, failed to collect a deep, inswinging delivery asthe ball eventually made its way to Samba, who took a touch before rifling home.
Blackburn combined several fast, frenetic passages of play with a heavy aerial bombardment to pin Blackpool further back as the second-half worn on.
Martin Olsson hit the post with a rasping left-footed drive from the edge of the Blackpool box in the 53rd minute.
Then Samba almost grabbed his second in the 78th minute but his goal-bound header was cleared off the line and, just three minutes later, a whipped Phil Jones delivery took a slight nick off Hoilett on its way to clipping the outside of Kingson's post.
However, Ian Holloway's men are renowned for their attacking ability and could have restored their two-goal advantage with two stinging drives from Puncheon in the 55th and 66th minutes, which Robinson had to be alert to when palming away.
And Blackpool were to be punished for failing to get numbers back, and Kingson's poor command of his area, as Hoilett pounced deep into injury-time to ensure honours were to end even.
The result, however, does little to help either team's plight, as both Blackburn and Blackpool lie just above the relegation zone with eight games of the season remaining.
Liam Graf / Eurosport
Source: uk.eurosport.yahoo.com
Team Line-up:
Blackburn Rovers: Robinson, Salgado, Samba, Nelsen, Olsson, Emerton, Nzonzi, Jermaine Jones, Diouf, Santa Cruz, Hoilett. Subs: Bunn, Kalinic, Pedersen, Rochina, Mwaruwari, Phil Jones, Roberts
Blackpool: Kingson, Baptiste, Cathcart, Evatt, Crainey, Grandin, Adam, Vaughan, Puncheon, Taylor-Fletcher, Varney. Subs: Halstead, Southern, Eardley, Ormerod, Phillips, Reid, Beattie
Referee: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire)
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