Determined Luton beat Blackpool to boost promotion hopes
With Friday’s home defeat to fellow strugglers Cardiff proving the final straw for Mick McCarthy, managerless Blackpool began the day seven points adrift of safety, in desperate need of a first Championship away win since October.
However, a trip to Kenilworth Road against promotion-chasing Luton was always going to be a tough assignment, and it was the hosts who edged a cagey opening 20 minutes, with Carlton Morris going closest to opening the scoring.
After a solid enough start, Blackpool gradually grew into the contest, and were rewarded with a shock lead shortly before the half-hour mark as Andy Lyons clinically headed home from Lewis Fiorini’s inviting delivery.
Intent on finding a swift response, the hosts looked to draw confidence from their eight-match unbeaten run, and duly equalised on the stroke of HT through Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu, who swept a brilliant finish into the far corner to restore parity.
Both sides emerged after the restart desperate to gain an upper hand, however, wasteful finishing from Morris and Morgan Rogers for their respective sides kept the match tantalisingly poised going into the final 20 minutes.
Having failed to win a regular season league H2H since 2003, a late winner always seemed unlikely for the Seasiders, and it was the in-form hosts who found their groove late on with two goals in the space of four minutes.
First, Morris capitalised on poor defending from James Husband at the back post to rifle home from six yards, before Ruddock Mpanzu netted his second of the afternoon with a brilliant finish into the top corner, condemning the visitors to another costly defeat.
The result sees Luton move within five points of second-placed Sheffield United, albeit having played two matches more, while Blackpool look increasingly resigned to relegation, sitting seven points adrift of safety with just five matches remaining.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu (Luton Town)
