5:13pm Saturday 8th March 2008
By Simon Walter
Stern John ensured Saints left Bloomfield Road with a fourth successive draw.
Nigel Pearson is still looking for his first win as Saints boss after five games in charge but John's second-half equaliser, after Gregory Vignal had given the visitors a half-time lead with his third penalty in four games, ensured another battling point.
Vignal's outstanding penalty was also his third in as many games away from home following his spot-kick successes at Scunthorpe and Wolves.
The injustice of his sending off at Molineux was forgotten as he capped an excellent first-half display following the rescinding of his three-match ban with another emphatic finish inside the right-hand upright.
This time Paul Rachubka was the goalkeeper whose despairing dive failed to keep out Vignal's finish.
The Frenchman's strike was Saints' first on target of a first half that was played in the windiest of conditions on the north-west coast.
Nigel Pearson kept faith with the same side that left the pitch at Wolves after a creditable 2-2 draw on Tuesday night but he shuffled his midfield quartet, with Mario Licka switching from the left flank to the right.
Jhon Viafara was handed a central role alongside Youssef Safri, while Jason Euell lined up on the left.
Saints struggled to get to grips with the conditions at an exposed Bloomfield Road.
Marek Saganowski attempted a volley from the edge of the area which seemed to be heading in the approximate direction of the goal before a gust took it out for a throw-in.
And when Euell attempted to cross from the left, the ball landed back at his feet, boomerang-style!
Saints continued to look solid at the back but Rachukba dived at the feet of Licka and Saganowski before Wes Hoolahan, an exciting presence on the left of midfield, volleyed past Michael Poke's left-hand upright following an exchange of passes with Keith Southern.
Poke's first save on his full debut was an outstanding stop that denied former AFC Bournemouth midfielder Claus Jorgensen midway through the first half.
The 22 year-old dived low to his right before tipping behind the Dane's goal-bound cross shot with his finger tips.
Ian Evatt headed the resulting corner over the bar.
Then Stern John won the 30th-minute penalty from which Vignal gave Saints the lead.
After good build-up play between Euell and Saganowski, John was fed inside the area. With three Blacpool defenders surrounding him, the Trinidadian did well to keep possession before he was adjudged to have been felled by Kspars Gorkss.
VIGNAL made no mistake and, at the other end, Poke did well in diving at McPhee's feet and keeping out a Hoolahan effort wither side of a quality delivery from Saints' in-form left back, who found Saganowski unmarked.
The Pole's left-foot strike from the inside-left channel flew narrowly past the far post. Half-time: BLACKPOOL 0 SAINTS 1 At half-time, two of Alan Ball's children, Jimmy and Keely, and the Saints legend's sister Carol, were presented with a cheque for the Bobby Moore foundation and Blackpool replica shirts with Ball' and the number eight on the back for the late World Cup winner's grandchildren.
Prior to the match, a portrait of Ball, who began his career with Blackpool and finished it with Saints, was unveiled and will hang in the reception at Bloomfield Road.
Two defensive lapses in six second-half minutes shortly after the interval cost Saints dear.
Midfielder Keith SOUTHERN equalised with a 49th-minute free header after beating his man at the near post to meet right-back Shaun Barker's cross.
And six minutes later a weak clearance following a Stephen Crainey free kick fell to centre back GORKSS, who atoned for giving away Saints' first-half penalty by volleying Blackpool into a 55th-minute lead with Poke unsighted.
After receiving treatment for several minutes just inside Saints' half, Davies had to be helped from the field on the hour mark, when he was replaced by Alexander Ostlund.
Ostlund took his customary place at right-back, with Jermaine Wright switching to central midfield and Jhon Viafara moving into the heart of the defence alongside Wayne Thomas.
A few minutes later Stern JOHN equalised with his 15th league goal of the season.
After Euell's near-post header from Mario Licka's corner had hit the lgs of Rachubka, the ball ran loose to John on the edge of the six-yard box and he made no mistake in adding to his tally.
Saganowski had a header comfortably saved and Euell had a penbalty appeal for handball turned down during a goalmouth melee before Gary Taylor-Fletcher, Blackpool's right-sided midfielder, beat Viafara and sent a cross skidding across Poke's six-yard box.
Poke continued his confident display by saving an Evatt header and punching clear a Barker cross.
Blackpool continued to look dangerous and Hoolahan twice missed the target, the second time after a rare mistake from Vignal.
Poke then caught the ball at the second attempt as he challenged for a Rachubka punt with sub Ben Burgess.
Bradley Wright-Phillips and David McGoldrick were introduced as 73rd-minute substitutes for Saganowski and John but failed to make an impact.
For more reaction, see this weekend's Pink.
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