Blackpool Fc vs Mansfield town
On Saturday, February 15, 2025, Blackpool FC and Mansfield Town played to a thrilling 3-3 draw at Bloomfield Road in a League One encounter. This result extended Blackpool's unbeaten streak to nine league matches, keeping them in 11th place in the standings.
The match was a rollercoaster of emotions, with both teams displaying attacking prowess and defensive vulnerabilities and a 60 minutes for the seasiders to forget playing very poorly letting a side who have lost 7 games on the bounce to score three and make them look like a side top of the table but credit to Bruce for making big changes at half-time with the change of system going to a back three which in the end showed the attacking prowess the we can have shame that our defending only exists in 0-0 games which has cost us our home form and is why we still sit mid-table 9 points of the play-offs. Blackpool's goals were netted by Sonny Carey, Ashley Fletcher, and Niall Ennis, while Mansfield Town matched them goal for goal, ensuring the points were shared.
Personally I think again similar to tuesday night that we played poor all the goals against Mansfield could of been prevented but for the first 60 minutes we were very poor but the change in system was a bold move by Bruce but worked wonders with Fletcher, Hamilton and Coulsen all having impacts in all the goals and driving us forward but it’s a system I can get behind maybe we should try it more but a shame that Offiah went off injured as he’s a player that can drive us forward.
These has us still 11th, unbeaten this year but still without a win at home since September 28th against Burton keeping us 9 points off the play-offs which is looking more impossible after each home game but we have Crawley Town next weekend so, we need to at least start winning at home with us having 8 game at Bloomfield road after Crawley.
My ratings:
Tyrer: 5.2 personally feel like he could of came and claimed the ball for the first goal and could not really do anything for the other two goals as more of a midfield/defences problem not closing them down other than that really didn’t have anything else to do really wanted to get the game going but the team didn’t really help with starting counter attacks.
Offiah: 7.5 Offiah was the only spark in the team in the first half and it’s a shame he went off injured early on in the second half as his ball carrying and control is of a premier league footballer is up there with the likes of Bowler and Dembele and wasn’t really at fault for any of the goals and was involved in the Carey goal which gave us a false sense of hope that we were going to win but overall it was solid performance from Odel and my man of the match cos there was not much quality in a in this 3-3 thriller.
Casey: 6.8 had an alright game considering we conceded 3 wasn’t really at fault for any of the goals dealt with Mansfield’s brutes up-front very well didn’t really lose his man or be beaten in the air and if he did was there to clean up, looked very frustrated for when the third went in.
Baggot: 5.8 didn’t really do much probably equally to blame for the first goal not really challenging or closing the ball down for the second not his best game for the Pool probably the reason why Bruce hooked him at half time, which could of been anyone with how poorly we had played.
Husband: 6.6 again really did nothing that stood out managed to deal with Lucas Akins; who was a handful. Fairly well and returning to the wide centre-half he was deployed all of last year could have done better with some of his crosses and decision making but worked better with Coulsen being ahead of him making runs or coming short.
Apter: 7.1 Even though claiming an assist for the first goal with a very good pass to Carey threading the needle couldn’t really find a way into the game as most of the play was coming through the middle and seems reasonable to be taken off as a wingback role does not suit him well and takes him to 11 G/A for the season in all comps which isn’t the same standard for the league two young player of the season however looks promising when he can work on his skills, decision making and finishing he can go very far or even our case generate revenue for the club for it to sit idle or go towards the stands which personally think that should be behind the training ground and investment into the team.
Morgan: 6.8 again didn’t really standout and could of pressed a bit harder for the second goal for Mansfield as he let Baccus to run and couldn’t track back in time to help the defence and didn’t look his best like in the past few weeks/months maybe it’s Evans returning next to him as they are similar players kinda affected him as he couldn’t control the tempo like he usually does.
Evans: 6.7 again like Morgan both like to control tempo in the midfield but didn’t really do that for the first 3 goals Mansfield scored but after that did start playing like how we use to, but overall struggled to get into the game but was weird considering the stags went through the middle feel like they phased through the team which both Morgan and Evans could of dealt with but in the second half became better with the help of Carey dropping deeper benefited them both.
Silvera: 6.2 similar to Apter but not registering an assist has kept his score low and not playing very well for the first half which is probably why Bruce replaced him for Coulsen and a change of system don’t really remember much of him during the game or doing anything special other than roaming around and personally not being on the left when going down that side making Husband struggle even more as attacking isn’t his speciality.
Carey: 7.2 just a bit better than Apter because of the goal and him playing the whole 90 probably resulted in a better score however in the first half felt like he couldn’t play a pass but in a second half a much needed improvement being behind 2 strikers instead of just one with Fletcher coming short or making runs helped Carey massively but also with Mansfield defending much deeper gave him more time to impact the attack.
Ennis: 7.1 Didn’t really do much during the whole game that I can remember apart from getting his second goal for the seasiders again being the equalising goal after being behind by two goals but felt like the game plan at the start didn’t suit his style of running in behind as Mansfield’s solid defence built of brutes won everything in the air and as Ennis’ main strength isn’t aerial and just lumping the ball up to him and Carey in the first half wasn’t working and his probably the reason why we were so poor in the first half.
SUBS
Gabriel: 7.5 coming on for Offiah in the 55 minute is a big ask but I think even though he does not look as sharp as he use to put in a solid effort and defended well considering Hamilton didn’t really want to help defend but was a big part in the comeback with him playing a great deep ball into Fletcher which he controlled like a prime Bervatov and finished in a similar fashion, but looks like he’s lost a bit of passion but still played very well.
Hamilton: 7.6 well what can I say he came on and made an impact with getting the assist for Ennis for the final goal in the comeback however still looked as he has two left feet and is unable to make a good decision other than the assist feels like he could of capitalised more by using his pace and putting more balls into the box instead of trying to cut back each time but thought that if Bruce didn’t change the system CJ on the left instead of Silvera would of been a good shout targeting wide areas and putting low crosses into the box but we didn’t but basically describes our home form at the moment.
Fletcher: 7.8 Though he was class coming of the bench and his goal was quality all made by himself with peeling off at the back post and controlling with his thigh then placing in the bottom left and showed the class that he has and throughout the second half made himself a pain for all the defenders either coming short or making runs in behind and didn’t do much wrong just a shame we didn’t win and our winless streak remains at Bloomfield but still undefeated for the year.
Coulsen: 8.0 Finally my man of the match was a breath of fresh air coming down that left hand side and working with everyone with one/two touch passing and his silky dribbling was a big change in the second half and deserved goal which would have been the winner if it wasn’t for their goalkeeper but was a spark in a very dim lit room but always like seeing Coulsen play as he seems to get the team forward and put a ton of effort in which it feels like we miss quite often but was a game changer for us this weekend.
Subs used Baggot off, Coulsen on(46), Apter off, Hamilton on(46), Silvera off, Fletcher on(46), Offiah off, Gabriel on(55)