Championship
BlackpoolBlackpool1BrightonBrighton & Hove Albion0

Blackpool 1-0 Brighton & Hove Albion

Blackpool boss Lee Clark
Lee Clark's Blackpool are now nine points adrift of safety after back-to-back wins

A second-half goal from Jamie O'Hara gave Championship bottom club Blackpool their second successive home victory as they beat fellow strugglers Brighton.

Midfielder O'Hara curled in a superb 75th-minute free-kick to score his first goal for the Tangerines.

Lee Clark's side are nine points from safety but with renewed hope of clawing their way out of the relegation zone.

Defeat ended Brighton's three-game winning run away from home and saw them slip to 21st in the Championship.

Millwall, in the final relegation place, are just two points adrift of the Seagulls after a surprise 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest.

The visitors started strongly at Bloomfield Road, going close in the eighth minute as Sam Baldock pounced after Tony McMahon allowed a long ball to slip through his legs, but Peter Clarke blocked his shot.

Brighton went close again when Gordon Greer met Danny Holla's free-kick, but his header was saved superbly by home keeper Ell Parish.

The deadlock was finally broken at the other end as former Tottenham and Wolves midfielder O'Hara curled home a left-footed free-kick from 35 yards.

Brighton threatened an equaliser 10 minutes from time but Clarke cleared Solly March's cross before Joe Bennett's return ball was headed wide by Leon Best from six yards.

Blackpool assistant manager Alan Thompson:

"We're not going to throw the towel in. We've only been beaten here by Bournemouth and Ipswich who are flying high so the home record is decent. But we need to try and get something on the road."

Thompson on the poor state of the pitch:

"The conditions make it difficult with the surface. We have a few players who like to play football, the manager likes to play football and you know we've played in teams over the years who like passing it. But it's difficult.

"Unfortunately it doesn't look attractive but we've got three points."

Brighton boss Chris Hughton:

"I think with the state of the pitch it was either going to be a real scrappy goal that won it or a wonderful strike.

"What we weren't able to do was impose ourselves on the game the way we would have liked. They play very direct. It's very difficult to play any other way on a pitch like this."

Line-ups

Blackpool

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 21Parish
  • 29McMahon
  • 6ClarkeBooked at 34mins
  • 48O'Dea
  • 18DunneBooked at 54mins
  • 4Perkins
  • 31O'Hara
  • 40CameronSubstituted forDelfounesoat 72'minutes
  • 34Telford
  • 11OrlandiSubstituted forWaddingtonat 73'minutes
  • 9DaviesBooked at 59mins

Substitutes

  • 1Lewis
  • 2Aldred
  • 3Maher
  • 12Rothwell
  • 14Delfouneso
  • 25Ferguson
  • 33Waddington

Brighton

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 13Stockdale
  • 2BrunoBooked at 29mins
  • 3Greer
  • 5Dunk
  • 30BennettBooked at 84mins
  • 24Ince
  • 22Holla
  • 14CalderonSubstituted forMarchat 77'minutes
  • 18Forster-Caskey
  • 9BaldockSubstituted forBestat 55'minutes
  • 11O'GradySubstituted forMackail-Smithat 86'minutes

Substitutes

  • 4Hughes
  • 12Mackail-Smith
  • 15Chicksen
  • 17Vilaca Teixeira
  • 19Best
  • 27March
  • 31Walton
Referee:
Seb Stockbridge
Attendance:
10,575

Match Stats

Home TeamBlackpoolAway TeamBrighton
Possession
Home45%
Away55%
Shots
Home12
Away12
Shots on Target
Home2
Away2
Corners
Home3
Away8
Fouls
Home6
Away17

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Blackpool 1, Brighton and Hove Albion 0.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Blackpool 1, Brighton and Hove Albion 0.

  3. Post update

    Foul by Rohan Ince (Brighton and Hove Albion).

  4. Post update

    Steve Davies (Blackpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  5. Post update

    Corner, Brighton and Hove Albion. Conceded by Charles Dunne.

  6. Post update

    Leon Best (Brighton and Hove Albion) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  7. Post update

    Foul by Peter Clarke (Blackpool).

  8. Post update

    Corner, Blackpool. Conceded by Jake Forster-Caskey.

  9. Post update

    Attempt saved. Steve Davies (Blackpool) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Dominic Telford.

  10. Post update

    Delay over. They are ready to continue.

  11. Post update

    Delay in match Steve Davies (Blackpool) because of an injury.

  12. Substitution

    Substitution, Brighton and Hove Albion. Craig Mackail-Smith replaces Chris O'Grady.

  13. Post update

    Attempt missed. Dominic Telford (Blackpool) left footed shot from the centre of the box is too high.

  14. Post update

    Attempt missed. Mark Waddington (Blackpool) left footed shot from outside the box is too high following a corner.

  15. Post update

    Corner, Blackpool. Conceded by Joe Bennett.

  16. Booking

    Joe Bennett (Brighton and Hove Albion) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  17. Post update

    Foul by Joe Bennett (Brighton and Hove Albion).

  18. Post update

    Mark Waddington (Blackpool) wins a free kick on the right wing.

  19. Post update

    Attempt missed. Leon Best (Brighton and Hove Albion) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Jake Forster-Caskey with a cross.

  20. Post update

    Offside, Brighton and Hove Albion. Danny Holla tries a through ball, but Leon Best is caught offside.