BLACKPOOL’S ROCKIN’ AGAIN...
Seasiders’ returning fans lap up equaliser
BLACKPOOL manager Terry McPhillips sees a bright future for the club after thousands of supporters ended their boycott of Bloomfield Road for the draw against Southend.
There were over 15,000 Seasiders supporters, many of whom helped clean the stadium this week, packed inside the ground as they ended their long exile from the club following the removal of owner Owen Oyston from the board.
And they were given even greater reason to cheer as Blackpool snatched an equaliser in the final minute of added time.
McPhillips was overwhelmed by the sensational atmosphere and believes there is nothing the club can’t achieve with the fans behind them.
“I think there is reason for optimism. I’ve felt the pain and the suffering,” McPhillips said.
“I’ve been speaking to these supporters this week who’ve come here to clean up and everybody has a different story on why they haven’t come. Some are four years, some five, some six, but they are all back here today and it’s brilliant.
“It was awesome – hairs on the back of the neck, goose pimples and all that. I sort of knew it would be like that because of all the build-up to it.
“I can’t thank the fans enough for their support and how they’ve gone about it. I’ve been here before when it’s been rocking but not quite like today.
“It feels like I am managing a club now with big support in
this league and with that support hopefully we can go places. I’m as proud as proud can be to be the manager of Blackpool for this homecoming.”
Southend took a 20thminute lead though Robbie Kiernan’s header on his return from an injury which has sidelined him since August 2017 through injury.
Armand Gnanduillet levelled things up seven minutes later, lashing into the roof of the net, but Southend restored their lead as Sam Mantom’s corner was headed in by Michael Turner after the break.
Blackpool, though, snatched a last-gasp equaliser as Taylor Moore deflected into his own net – sparking crazy scenes which saw a large number of fans run on to the pitch.
McPhillips defended those supporters, saying: “When you score an equaliser in the last second it’s just sheer enthusiasm and passion and four, five, six years of hurt for some of these people. So we are not condoning it but I don’t think anyone got hurt.
“These lads we have in the dressing room never say die. I thought we murdered them second half and the least we deserved was that goal at the end.”
It was a result which stretched Southend’s winless run to eight matches. Manager Chris Powell was frustrated by conceding such a late equaliser but believes his side did well to cope with events of the day.
“What I have to say is that the players withstood all that went on today, all the homecoming,” Powell said. “I made sure the players participated and made sure that we were part of the game. We should have spoiled it totally for them. We should be going back down to Essex with three points. It does hurt.
“It feels like a defeat but we have to make this point count because if we can back it up we could look on this as a really good point.”