Blackpool defender Neal Eardley already anticipating FA Cup replay with Fulham

06 January 2013 13:34
Blackpool's Neal Eardley is hoping his side can continue where they left off after impressing in their draw with Fulham. Eardley was hoping to help the Seasiders complete a third round shock after they came away from Craven Cottage with a surprise 1-1 result. That set up a replay - which will almost certainly take place next week - against Martin Jol's men, but this time Blackpool will enjoy home advantage. And what an advantage it is on a pitch manager Michael Appleton described as a "cabbage patch" and "as bad a surface as I have ever seen in the league." Fulham came within 10 minutes of being dumped out of the cup on their own patch on Saturday but Giorgos Karagounis' sensational equaliser denied Blackpool a famous win. Eardley said afterwards: "We're still in the cup, we've got a chance to bring them back to Bloomfield. "I'm sure they're looking forward to playing there..." Right-back Eardley certainly was after finding himself frozen out of the side under Appleton. The Wales international started his new manager's first game in charge at the start of November but was axed immediately, spending the rest of 2012 kicking his heels. Eardley did his cause no harm on Saturday by helping Blackpool weather a Fulham onslaught after Ludovic Sylvestre gave the visitors the lead. It took a wonder-volley from veteran Greece midfielder Karagounis to breach the wall of orange. "Unfortunately, it's a worldy that's done us and that's why they've got the draw," Eardley said. "Sometimes, that just happens and you've just got to take it on the chin.

Source: team_talk