Friendlies Match Threads

SeasideEssexXile

SeasideEssexXile

Vital Football Legend
Early start was at Nantwich.

Mafoumbi (Sims), Anderton, trialist, trialist, Bola, trialist (Sinclair-Smith), Pritchard, trialist (Clayton), trialist (Shaw), trialist, Cullen (Watkinson)

Pool won 2-1 witrh goals from Cullen and Bola.
 
Howard, Turton, Tilt, Heneghan, Bunney, Spearing, Taylor, O'Sullivan, Delfouneso, Dodoo, Gnanduillet
Half time Vale 0 Pool 1 - Goal from the Delf.
 
Nantwich match report:

Blackpool kicked off today’s friendly double header with a 2-1 win against Northern Premier League Premier Division side Nantwich Town. Mark Cullen and new signing Marc Bola scored in either half, with Nantwich’s goal coming from the penalty spot. Pool’s starting line-up included Christoffer Mafoumbi, Nick Anderton, Marc Bola, Harry Pritchard, Mark Cullen plus six trialists. All other first-team players will feature against Port Vale in Pool’s second friendly of the day at 3pm.
It took just three minutes for the Seasiders to take the lead, as Mark Cullen nodded in from close range following a smart cross into the box by one of the trialists. Pool were inches away from doubling their lead on 19 minutes when a trialist centre back met Harry Pritchard’s corner only to hit the post with his header. A couple of minutes later Nantwich got back on level terms thanks to some assistance from referee Ben Atkinson.
One of Blackpool’s trialist defenders appeared to have been fouled in the penalty area but the man in black disagreed, instead opting to award a penalty kick much to the amusement of Gary Bowyer, who jokingly appealed to refer the decision to VAR. James Lawrie sent Christoffer Mafoumbi the wrong way to tuck home the resulting spot kick. Nantwich keeper Will Jaaskelainen then made a superb save to stop Blackpool from retaking the lead, making a fingertip stop to deny Nick Anderton whose curling effort was heading towards the top corner. The Seasiders went close twice in quick succession, with a midfield trialist whistling a low shot just wide of the post before Cullen went close with another close-range header. Cullen thought he was just about to grab his side’s second when he rounded the keeper after being sent through on goal, but a Nantwich defender recovered well to clear away for a corner. It took just four minutes of the second half for Pool to retake the lead, as new recruit Marc Bola lashed home from inside the box after maneuvering some space for himself with some tidy footwork. The Seasiders were dealt an injury scare on the hour mark when Mark Cullen was brought off after falling awkwardly on his knee. But the striker, who spent much of last season on the sidelines after undergoing surgery on his hamstring, was okay to stand up and walk off the pitch as he was replaced by Owen Watkinson. He was later seen with an ice pack on his knee. The home side almost got back on level terms for the second time in the match as Caspar Hughes tried his luck from range, but Mafoumbi was equal to his effort beating it away from goal. At the other end, youth team striker Watkinson side footed wide of goal after being picked out by a left-wing cross. Harry Pritchard then had the ball in the back of the net with a header, only for the referee to rule it out for a shove inside the box. The former Maidenhead United midfielder, who impressed with some tidy footwork and passes, went close again with what proved to be the last chance of the game as he curled a left-footed effort just wide of the far post.
Blackpool: Mafoumbi (Sims), Anderton, trialist, trialist, Bola, trialist (Sinclair-Smith), Pritchard, trialist (Clayton), trialist (Shaw), trialist, Cullen (Watkinson)
 
Vale Match report:

Blackpool completed their friendly double header with a hard-fought 1-0 win against League Two side Port Vale.
Nathan Delfouneso scored the only goal of the game just five minutes in to what was a tight, edgy affair at Vale Park.
It came after a Seasiders side featuring a number of trialists had beaten Nantwich Town 2-1 earlier in the day.
The Seasiders, just as they had done against Nantwich in the lunchtime kick off, took the lead with an early goal.
With just five minutes on the clock, Delfouneso raced through on goal - ignoring the offside appeals from the home fans - to coolly slot home past Scott Brown. Paudie O'Connor, Armand Gnanduillet and Michael Nottingham in the thick of the action The linesman’s decision not to raise his flag enraged Port Vale boss Neil Aspin to such an extent he ran down from the director’s box - where he had been watching on from the stands - to launch a tirade of expletives at the referee’s assistant. When the game did restart, the Valiants almost found an instant response as Luke Hannant lobbed a looping effort over the onrushing Mark Howard only for Curtis Tilt to clear off the line. On 18 minutes, full back James Gibbons attempted to find the bottom corner with a shot on the volley but Mark Howard watched on as the effort sailed harmlessly wide. Louis Dodds was the next man to go close for the home side, lashing a left-footed effort into the side netting after twisting and turning his way past a couple of players inside the box. Port Vale kept up the pressure as they went in search of an equaliser, as Scott Quigley - playing against his parent club - looked to get a shot off at goal after some space opened up for him, but Blackpool managed to recover and crowd him out. The hosts almost found a leveller from the resulting corner, as Tom Pope rose highest only to see his powerful header hit Quigley on the line, allowing Pool to clear their lines. The opening half ended with a Port Vale trialist launching an ambitious effort from range which Howard collected comfortably. The Seasiders went close to adding a second 10 minutes into the second half as Armand Gnanduillet clipped the outside of the post after turning his man inside the Port Vale box. As is so often the case in pre-season friendlies, the game soon became a stop-start affair with a multitude of substitutes stopping the flow of the match. Port Vale continued to push for an equaliser, but Pool kept them at bay with some superb defending - from in-demand centre back Curtis Tilt in particular. Port Vale: Brown, Gibbons (Legge), Montano, Kay (Joyce), Hannant (Worrall), Rawlinson, Trialist (Tonge), Smith, Dodds, Quigley, Pope (Kanu) Subs: Hornby, Pugh, Daniels, Vassell Blackpool: Howard, Turton, Tilt, Heneghan, Bunney, Spearing, Taylor (Nottingham), Delfouneso (Thompson), O’Sullivan (O’Connor), Dodoo (McLaughlin), Gnanduillet (Sinclair-Smith) Subs: Sims Attendance: 841 (87 Blackpool)
 
Fishul Vale report:

Port Vale suffered their first defeat of the pre-season campaign, as an early Blackpool goal was all that separated the two sides at Vale Park on Saturday afternoon.
Blackpool broke the deadlock after just five minutes as a ball was threaded beyond the Vale defence, leaving Delfouneso one-on-one with Scott Brown. As the supporters protested for a potential offside, the striker tucked the ball away to hand his side the lead.
Despite going down a goal down early on, Vale were determined not to let that stop them pressurising Blackpool, and Neil Aspin’s men were creating plenty of opportunities.
The next chance for the Vale fell for James Gibbons. Louis Dodds played a nice flicked ball over the top to Pope, who was able to cushion the ball down for Gibbons. The full-back couldn’t make the connection he wanted, and the ball dribbled wide of the post.
Minutes later, Dodds came close to putting the Valiants on level terms on two occasions, before Pope’s header from a corner was accidently stopped on the line by no other than Scott Quigley. We’ll have to remind him he’s not at Blackpool anymore!
Luke Joyce, Leon Legge and David Worrall were introduced in for a second half that really struggled to pick up any real stand out moments. Gnanduillet hit the post for Blackpool 15 minutes into the half to produce the first attempt on target during the second 45.
Blackpool came close to doubling their lead with half an hour to go. Delfouneso linked up well with Gnanduillet, but his finessed shot from the edge of the box was well blocked by Smith. Brown had committed however, and Gnanduillet was left with a golden chance to tap in the rebound, but Legge put his body on the line to block the shot and deny him.
It was a half of very few chances with both sides unable to create any real clear-cut chances. The game ended 1-0 which left Vale tasting defeat for the first time this pre season.
 
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