Wednesday get the game underway kicking towards the Kop end. The bitterly cold evening was almost instantly made a lot worse when barely 25 seconds pass and Blackpool force an early corner. The cross from the right floated in by star-man Thomas Ince but met and cleared by Miguel Llera. The Owls fans get a surge of heat when Michail Antonio powers past 2 defenders and his cross gets cleared for a corner by Craig Cathcart. The resulting corner by Jay Bothroyd gets claimed by the keeper. A couple of free-kicks for both teams kills any momentum before it can lead to anything dangerous. Matt Gilks in the Blackpool goal is forced into a save when Chris O'Grady forces a chance goal-wards, easy enough for the stopper. Antonio has started the game well and when he rounds the keeper the fans anticipate a goal but he was forced too wide and his cutback is cleared. 9mins in and a real let-off for Wednesday as the energetic Matt Phillips drills a right footed shot from 25yards that scrapes the top of the bar on its way over. Eager to turn pressure into something more, Blackpool earn a free kick for a foul by Ross Barkley on Ince. Elliot Grandin whips one in and Daniel Jones makes the clearance. Not letting the pressure subside, Stephen Crainey then forces 2 shots both blocked by Lewis Buxton and then Llera. On the 17th minute the pressure pays and Blackpool take the lead following a Grandin cross that doesn't get dealt with leaving Ince to tuck away from inside the 6yard box. The Tangerines almost double their lead when Chris Kirkland saves a Phillips effort on goal after Neil Eardley saw his effort go wide of the post. 2 quick offside calls prevent Wednesday from getting an equaliser, first Bothroyd and then Antonio drifting past the last man. Chris Basham almost gets a second Blackpool goal on the half hour mark but his effort rises over the bar. When the usually reliable goal scorer Llera heads a near post header inches wide on a quick Wednesday move, the night seems a little colder for those in attendance! The Owls end the half well and Gilks does well to save from Antonio in the 41st minute and then the keeper is glad to see Barkley fire an effort wide just 2 minutes later.
HT. Not a great first half for the Owls. The step forward from the Ipswich & Peterborough games seems to have gone backwards here.
As the teams return O'Grady has been replaced by Jermaine Johnson. Hopefully this switch will take some of the burden off Antonio. It's the £1m signing from Reading that almost equalises on the 48th minute when he somehow manages to turn & fire a shot that flies wide from deep inside the box. Blackpool then attack and a quick move ends with a free kick when Llera fouls Gary Taylor-Fletcher. The direct shot by Grandin causes no alarm to the home team. Wednesday are keen to equalise quickly and when Rhys McCabe finds space in the box, his shot flies over the bar to the fans frustration. Buxton picks up the games first yellow for a foul on Basham and only 2mins later Basham himself sees yellow for a foul on Johnson. Cathcart gets a block in from JJ's effort on goal and Blackpool see away any danger. Matt Gilks is again called into action in the 65th minute to deny McCabe a goal following a good move by Wednesday in midfield. McCabe then gives away a free kick for fouling Ince and the young Scotsman would be forgiven for thinking this is not one of his better games. The 70th minute almost has the away fans celebrating again. Ludovic Sylvestre takes a shot on goal and Anthony Gardner gets the block for the corner. Grandins near post cross is somehow cleared by Barkley and Wednesday survive. Rodri replaces McCabe soon after an Owls corner is wasted on the 75th. A Johnson cross is met by the leaping Llera and his header again flashed just over the bar as Wednesday step up for an equaliser. Throughout the game Blackpool have been a bigger threat on the ball. Their passing and movement has outclassed the Owls and their attacks always look more dangerous. On the 82nd minute the game is over as a contest as Sylvestres shot is saved by Kirkland but the second effort flies into the top right hand corner and Blackpool lead 0-2. Free kicks again hinder any progress for both teams as the game fizzles out in the latter stages, seeing Owls and Tangerine players concede needless fouls. The whistle blows to end a disappointing evening for the Owls but a happy office for Blackpools incoming manager.
FT. Blackpool had 63% possession here - the away side should never have that much, we need to close down sooner.
Attendance: 19,978
Man of the Match: Antonio
(pics by BBC Sport & SWFC.co.uk)
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