Match Reports

Late goals earn Town point

Substitutes Clark and Kodua strike late as Hatters draw 2-2 at Bloomfield Road

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Two goals in a dramatic final 12 minutes earned the Hatters a point as they fought back from two goals down at Bloomfield Road.

The Town had trailed to two CJ Hamilton goals either side of the break but goals from substitutes Jordan Clark and Gideon Kodua rescued a point for Matt Bloomfield’s men.

Clark brought the Hatters back into the game with a deflected strike on 78 minutes before Kodua converted an injury-time penalty after he was fouled by the hosts’ Olly Casey to level it up.

Blackpool dominated the opening exchanges and took a deserved lead on nine minutes when former Hatters loanee Josh Bowler picked up a loose ball from Ashley Fletcher’s flick, fed Hamilton to the left of the Town area and the ex-Mansfield man’s left-footed shot beat Josh Keeley at his near post.

After a lengthy hold-up for Blackpool right-back Danny Imray to be carried off on a stretcher, Town mounted their first attack of any note with 17 minutes on the clock.

Zack Nelson and Milli Alli combined well on the left, but the latter’s cross flew tamely into Northern Ireland international keeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell’s hands. It was a start, however, as Town grew into the game.

Alli soon arced a cross past the far post, before he then put Cohen Bramall in to the left byline to flash the ball across the six-yard box, with Shayden Morris just missing out as he raced in from the opposite flank.

Blackpool threatened again at the other end as Fletcher hung in the air to direct a header on target from a Hamilton cross, but Keeley saved comfortably before the Town then put their best move of the game together. Nelson and Christ Makosso linked up brilliantly on the right to find Lamine Fanne, whose 15-yard shot was tipped over by Peacock-Farrell.

Fanne’s work-rate was on display when he raced back to dispossess Dale Taylor on the edge of the Town box as the Blackpool forward looked to get a shot off as the Tangerines countered.

Town’s best chance of the half came in the 40th minute when Nahki Wells helped Mads Andersen’s ball around the corner to Fanne, who was confronted by Peacock-Farrell as he looked set to poke the ball past the keeper.

Fanne retained possession and laid it back for Nelson, who looked to pick his spot but his goalbound effort was blocked by Casey and Alli fired the rebound over from a tight angle.

Just as they had the first half, Blackpool started the second in the ascendancy, Makosso having to be alert to come across from right-back to block a shot from Taylor as the Tangerines worked an opening down their right.

But the second goal came on 53 minutes and it was Hamilton again who had the freedom of Bloomfield Road to race onto a through ball from Jordan Brown, who had dispossessed Alli on the edge of the Blackpool area, and fire past Keeley for his second of the game.

Bloomfield made a triple substitution with Clark, Kodua and Joe Gbodé coming on in place of Nelson, Alli and Wells.

Kodua took aim from 25 yards after Saville picked him out with a sharp pass through midfield, but the West Ham loanee’s shot was off target before Clark whipped a low cross in from the edge of the box as Town threatened briefly.

It was end-to-end as Hamilton got another shot looking for his hat-trick at the other end with just under 20 minutes left, Makosso again doing well to block.

Morris and Fanne were replaced by Jake Richards and Lasse Nordås with 15 minutes to go, and Kodua was soon seeing a volley deflected wide before Nordås glanced a far-post header wide from Clark’s corner.

However, the Hatters were back in it in the 78th minute when Saville found Clark to the right of the Blackpool area, and the midfielder’s shot from just outside the box took a wicked deflection off Casey’s back and left Peacock-Farrell rooted to the spot.

Buoyed by the goal, Bramall sent a couple of dangerous crosses in from the left, the second finding Gbode’s head, but the recent signing from Gillingham couldn’t direct his effort on target.

But the Town were to reward the 500 travelling fans as the game ticked into injury when Kodua was fouled by Casey. Referee Woods initially waved play on before calling the foul back and pointing to the spot. West Ham loanee Kodua dusted himself down before dispatching the penalty to make it 2-2.

With their tails up the Hatters went in search of a late, late winner but the hosts saw out the remaining time and the Town were content with a point on the road.

It’s a shorter trip on Saturday when we head to Stevenage. We’ll see you there. Good night.

Town: Keeley, Makosso, Andersen, Naismith, Bramall, Morris (sub Richards 74), Saville, Fanne (sub Nordås 75), Nelson (sub Clark 57), Alli (sub Kodua 57), Wells (sub Gbodé 57).

Subs not used: Shea, Nakamba.

Attendance: 8,530, including 491 backing the Town.

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