Blackpool 5 Charlton Athletic 3

Last updated : 23 February 2008 By Footymad Previewer
It was an eight-goal thriller at Bloomfield Road as Blackpool romped to a 5-3 victory against high-flying Charlton Athletic.

The Seasiders took the lead in the 16th minute when Wes Hoolahan smashed a speculative effort at Nicky Weaver who failed to hold onto the ball. Poacher Stephen McPhee stepped in to steer home the rebound into the bottom corner to give the home side the momentum.

Minutes later Blackpool had a narrow escape when Luke Varney's ambitious lob found Paul Rachubka off his goal-line although sadly for the visitors the ball slipped wide.

Blackpool were not about to let the visitors back into the game and with, the away fixture between the two sides still fresh in their minds, continued to push forward.

Hoolahan's corner found Paul Dickov with a free header on goal and Weaver's good block ended with the ball falling straight into the path of a tangerine shirt - Latvian defender Kaspars Gorkss blasting home from close range.

Charlton hit back quickly, midfielder Zhi Zheng playing a cunning ball for Grant Basey and his cross found Darren Ambrose in space at the back post.

The resurgence didn't end there and just two minutes later Charlton had recovered the deficit, Ambrose crashing home a sweet volley to level the game.

After the break Blackpool continued to push forward and Dickov forced his way into the box as another Weaver save proved futile as Gary Taylor-Fletcher turned home from the parry.

Dickov went on to make it five goals in five matches three minutes later as he rounded a scrambling Weaver to restore the two-goal lead.

Seven minutes later the Seasiders looked to have put the game beyond the Londoners, Taylor-Fletcher doubling his tally with a great lob over a flapping Weaver.

Jonathan Fortune snatched a consolation goal for the visitors with 16 minutes remaining but it proved to be far too little too late for the Londoners.