Seasiders cruise to LDV Vans success
Goals by John Murphy, Chris Clarke, John Hills, and Scott Taylor confirmed a dominant performance by The Seasiders, as Cambridge failed to cope with Blackpool's attacking play.
The Seasiders had the opening chance just a minute in when Murphy headed wide from a cross from the left.
Taylor went close two minutes but his shot was scoffed wide of Cambridge goalkeeper Lionel Perez and his goal.
But Steve McMahon's side would not be denied when from a short corner, Lee Collins played a delightful ball into the box and Murphy was left unmarked to head home and give Blackpool a 1-0 lead after five minutes.
The early goal livened up the match, with Cambridge striker Dave Kitson heading a cross over the Blackpool bar after 12 minutes.
The Bloomfield Road side should have gone two goals in front, when Richard Wellens ran on to a through ball but he rolled his shot past Perez's far post.
The first 25 minutes belonged to Blackpool, with Murphy coming close to his second goal, only for his turn-and-shot to roll wide left of goal and Taylor forcing an easy save from Perez from his low strike moments later.
Then against the run of play, The U's got a break when a through-ball to striker Tom Youngs saw him bearing in on goal, only for defender Tommy Jaszczun to trip up the hitman and referee Roger Furnandiz to award a penalty.
Cambridge skipper Paul Wanless stepped up and struck his spot-kick down the middle and past Blackpool goalkeeper Phil Barnes to make it 1-1.
With the sides level, the Abbey Stadium outfit came to life and Youngs came close to putting Cambridge ahead, when his twisting header from a by-line cross just went over the bar at the near-post.
Blackpool's veteran skipper Ian Marshall, playing in his final season, was forced to retire from the match after pulling up with hamstring problem when he stretched for a ball with six minutes left in the half and was replaced by Ian Hughes.
Both sides then each had a chance to go in front before the break with Cambridge missing after Youngs played a fine ball through to Kitson, but with his shot was blocked by Barnes, after he closed the striker down.
It was Blackpool's turn when Taylor, much to his own surprise, was judged on-side by the linesman but his run and shot went straight at a sprawling Perez.
With The Seasiders having dominated the early part of the opening half, Cambridge came back into the match through Wanless's penalty and the mid-week visit of a 'Feng Shue' doctor to exorcise the bad fortune that has gone with clubs being in Cambridge's end of the Millennium Stadium looked so far to be overcome.
The second half saw both sides exchange early half-chances before Blackpool reasserted their dominance on the match, as they did in the opening half exchanges.
The Seasiders came close when man of the match John Hills struck a 20-yard shot that Perez did brilliantly to push past his right-hand post for a corner.
With Blackpool applying more pressure, a foul by Cambridge's Luke Guttridge gave away a free-kick on the left of The U's penalty area and saw him receive a yellow card from referee Furnandiz.
Hills took the free-kick and swung in a dangerous cross, which was flicked by Murphy and found defender Chris Clarke at the far-post, who headed home unmarked past a stranded Perez to make it 2-1 to Blackpool.
Taylor and Murphy were causing Cambridge's back-line many problems, as Steve McMahon's side kept surging forward.
Perez kept John Taylor's charges in the match - making three fine saves from Hills, substitute Hughes, and Murphy within the space of a couple of minutes.
Cambridge did almost reply with 20 minutes to go, when a corner found Ian Ashbee at the top of Blackpool's box, but his first-time strike was deflected wide of goal.
Taylor and Hills continued to be dangerous, with Perez saving from both Blackpool players again.
However, the Bloomfield Road side's pressure finally paid off when Hills, who was having a superb second half, received a ball on the left from Wellens and his shot deflected past Perez to make it 3-1.
Victory was sealed with eight minutes remaining, when Taylor ran on to a through-ball and as he ran into the box, he slipped his shot through the legs of Perez to make it 4-1 and put Blackpool's supporters into party mode.
The Seasiders continued to attack a dispirited Cambridge side till the end and the final whistle confirmed their second win at the Millennium Stadium in the space of ten months, after winning last season's Division Three promotion play-off final against Leyton Orient.
Despite reaching the final, Cambridge's disappointment could be further deepened with relegation from Division Two seemingly apparent to occur this season.
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LDV Vans Trophy final
Blackpool 4-1 Cambridge
