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  • Kick-off: 14:00
  • Venue: Bloomfield Road
  • Attendance: 9640
  • Referee: Laws, G

Live Commentary

90 mins

That's it, it's all over, the referee has blown the final whistle.

90 mins

Watford are replacing Lee Williamson with Adrian Mariappa.

88 mins

Blackpool are replacing Stephen McPhee with David Fox.

87 mins

Ben Burgess is being taken off, Grant Holt has come on in his place.

75 mins

Blackpool are replacing Joe Martin with Andy Morrell.

62 mins

Goal!! Watford have scored with Tommy Smith putting it in the back of the net.

60 mins

It's red. He's off. Darius Henderson has been sent off.

46 mins

The second half is under way with the score currently at 1 v 0.

45 mins

Half time whistle is blown by G Laws

6 mins

The referee has booked Darius Henderson.

2 mins

Goal!! Blackpool have scored with Ben Burgess putting it in the back of the net.

0 mins

The ref has blown his whistle and the match has started.

Match Report

Watford secured a play-off place as Blackpool made sure they did not slip from grace after just one season in the Championship.

The game started with a bang when Ben Burgess put Blackpool ahead in the second minute with his tenth goal of the season.

However, the clash ended in a whimper as both sides realised a draw was all that was needed.

Blackpool's opener came from a corner by Wes Hoolahan which Watford defender Lloyd Doyley failed to clear and Burgess shot home from ten yards.

The Seasiders looked shaky in defence with goalkeeper Paul Rachubka under pressure from Watford's aerial attack.

Rachubka produced an astonishing double save on 17 minutes flinging himself one way to keep out Nathan Ellington's shot and then picking himself up to block Darius Henderson's goalbound attempt from the rebound.

Blackpool picked themselves up and, in a brief spell of pressure, Hoolahan was narrowly wide with a 25-yarder before Shaun Barker was forced to clear off his own line from Henderson.

At the start of the second half Watford turned on the pressure, no doubt aware their play-off rivals were at that stage leading.

Blackpool back-pedalled furiously and Barker made a second goal-line clearance before the Seasiders counter-attacked in the 57th minute with a good move ending with Stephen McPhee hitting the post.

Henderson was cautioned in the first half and his nasty elbow in the face on Blackpool defender Kaspars Gorkss gave referee Graham Laws no choice but to red card the striker.

Two minutes later Watford equalised when Tommy Smith embarked on a defence-splitting run before beating Rachubka with a lovely low drive.

Before sides realised that a draw would do although McPhee went close for Blackpool bringing a full-stretch save from Richard Lee on 70 minutes.

Blackpool Team

Watford Team

Blackpool

Watford

Corners

3 10

Fouls

14 15

Goal attempts

10 5

Shots off target

5 1

Offsides

1 2

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