Steve Kabba's stunning late goal earned Blackpool a first home win after a 1-0 success over Barnsley.
Seasiders win at home for first time this season
Steve Kabba's stunning late goal earned Blackpool a first home win of the campaign after a 1-0 success over Barnsley.
The striker smashed home from 25 yards with just four minutes remaining to leave Barnsley without a point on their travels so far this term.
Blackpool - who won 1-0 at Southampton in their previous outing - fashioned the first goalscoring opportunity in the fourth minute as Kabba collected possession 20 yards from goal and hit a shot which Barnsley goalkeeper Luke Steele saved comfortably.
Winger Adam Hamill then cut in from the left flank and drilled a low left-footed shot narrowly wide of Steele's post.
Barnsley signalled their attacking intent in the eighth minute when midfielder Brian Howard fired goalwards from 20 yards, and Paul Rachubka had to be alert to make a routine save.
The pendulum swung back towards Blackpool in the 11th minute when midfielder Claus Jorgensen tried to fire the ball home from 12 yards - but Tykes defender Dennis Souza made a fine block.
Predatory instincts
Jon Macken showed signs of his old predatory instincts in the 26th minute when he engineered the space to crack a low shot which Rachubka did well to block.
Seconds later, however, Seasiders winger Gary Taylor-Fletcher forced an even better save from Steele who did superbly well to tip a fierce shot around a post.
Blackpool defender Shaun Barker should have hit the target when he connected with Hammill's outswinging corner from the right and headed wastefully over the bar from 12 yards.
Hammill's low shot was well cleared by Souza early in the second half and he was in the thick of things again in the 56th minute with a fine right-foot volley from 25 yards which dipped straight into Steele's midriff.
Seasiders substitute David Vaughan wasted little time making his presence felt with a low, left-foot shot that just failed to hit the target.
Keith Southern then also fired wide when well-placed, but Kabba's moment of class decided the game in the 86th minute.
He still had plenty of work to do when he picked up the ball 25 yards from goal, but an excellent shot finally beat Steele and secured Blackpool victory.
