City seasick and sunk without trace

Donovan Ricketts staged his own sit-down protest at the end of this farce.

While his team-mates couldn't escape the scene of the crime fast enough, the big Jamaican was unmoved.

For ten minutes after the final whistle, the City keeper sat on the edge of his penalty area and refused to budge.

It didn't take a mind reader to know his thoughts. No doubt, given the chance, many of the fed-up away fans would have joined him in his frustrated vigil.

The City travelling contingent of nearly 1,600 made up one-fifth of Blackpool's biggest gate of the season. Not that many of those followers were still around to hear referee Rob Shoebridge put everyone out of their misery.

The exodus from the away side of the ground had begun 20 minutes earlier after Keigan Parker had slipped through the non-existent defending to roll home Blackpool's fourth goal.

The cheers of the home fans were greeted by a damning chorus of "You're not fit to wear the shirts" from the angry visitors. There were also calls for Colin Todd's head after a display as poor as anything witnessed in his 28-month reign.

This was City's third straight defeat at Blackpool's windswept ground. They don't like to be beside this particular stretch of seaside - not since that play-off long, long ago.

If this was anything to go by, the current team's hopes of emulating that class of '96 look as remote and murky as the fog-shrouded point on Blackpool Tower.

As Blackpool gained in confidence with each goal, so City's heads and shoulders drooped at the same alarming rate.

For half an hour or so, there was no indication of the pain to follow. City weren't playing brilliantly but nobody could have forecast the carnage to follow.

Joe Brown, given an 11th hour nod after David Graham's back went in the warm-up, linked well with Jermaine Johnson to launch City's first attack only for the Jamaican to pull back his cross behind everybody. Then Mark Bower should have hit the target with a close-range header from a Dean Windass cross.

Todd had wanted his team to mix up their attacking play more but the wingers found it hard to make any inroads, both too willing to look inside all the time and condense a tight pitch even further.

Blackpool had not threatened much themselves apart from an unsuccessful shout for handball against Lee Holmes. But they got in front seven minutes before half-time after a clever interchange between winger Wes Hoolahan and Andy Morrell set up Parker to have a go.

The Scot's shot was probably missing the far post but David Fox was right in the firing line to deflect it goalwards and past the diving Ricketts.

City had talked about a lucky goal ending their barren run. Instead it had gone against them.

Blackpool, who had won three out the previous four, were bubbling and City quickly cracked again after failing to clear their lines.

Johnson, who is no defender at the best of times, was lucky to escape for a penalty-area clip on Parker. But as the home fans howled for a foul, City should have hoofed the ball out of harm's way.

Instead it continued to bobble around dangerously and Johnson had another go from behind at Andy Morrell. This time there was no doubt whatsoever, nor with the spot-kick itself as Hoolahan sent Ricketts the wrong way.

Discontent was growing in the seats and City were booed off as they headed for a half-time rollicking from their manager.

Todd demanded some kind of response and switched the wingers to opposite sides to see if they could have any impact. The tactic changed nothing and they were soon back on the natural flanks, although Holmes at least forced a tip-over from Rhys Evans with a curling free-kick.

It was not enough to knock Blackpool out their stride and they continued to ask all the questions. Ben Parker was hauled off before he was sent off after a final warning for a foul on Adrian Forbes but his namesake Keigan was enjoying himself more and more.

The striker's pace had City's central defenders at full stretch and David Wetherall was caught out by one long ball that sent Parker scurrying. With Marc Bridge-Wilkinson down for treatment in the other half, Blackpool had played on and Parker slipped goalside of the City skipper, who had to pull him back.

He was technically the last man but with the ball well over to the right of goal, Wetherall got a yellow card and not a red one. Seeing the captain ordered off for the first time really would have made this too much to bear.

As it was, City's fortunes showed no sign of improving and Blackpool went three ahead in the 64th minute.

It was time to dust off the party pieces with Hoolahan in particular keen to show off all the tricks. It was his flick into Morrell, who knocked it on for Parker bursting into the box to easily steer the ball under Ricketts.

Bridge-Wilkinson hobbled off and Joe Colbeck's arrival meant another reshuffle. Dean Windass, who had seen little of the ball, dropped deeper into midfield with Johnson pushed up front.

But the only worry for Evans came from a headed backpass from Ian Evatt which at least required the Blackpool keeper to stretch to gather the errant ball.

Hoolahan was having fun on the left wing and he claimed another assist in the fourth goal, lofting a ball over the top which Parker collected before strolling round Ricketts for the simplest of tap-ins.

There were still 20 minutes left but a large chunk of the travelling fans had seen enough. Many headed for the exits, stopping only to hurl abuse at the players who had made their trip such a waste of time and money.

Blackpool, on the other hand, were in carnival mode and threatened to score with every attack. Fox was inches away with a skidding drive and Morrell should have buried a golden chance after Parker picked him out completely on his own in the penalty area.

At least City could claim the honour of scoring the game's final goal.

Steve Schumacher, who kept going to the end, showed persistence to find Brown and he fed Johnson for a low shot through the lunging Carl Dickinson and into the far corner. It was City's first goal in the league since Schumacher netted against Tranmere on September 30.

For a few minutes, ironic cheers from the away fans who were still there greeted every successful pass from their team.

But City had lost their rag and Windass and Schumacher were both booked as the frustration boiled over.

As stoppage time approach, it seemed inevitable that someone would pay the price for the loss of discipline. But it was Brown who received rookie referee Rob Shoebridge's first red card in league football after a clash with Michael Jackson. Shoebridge did not see the alleged incident but spotted blood around the defender's mouth and sent Brown packing, presumably for an elbow.

The youngster looked distraught as he headed off and City hope to win an appeal this week against the decision. But nobody could argue about the result and the fact they had hit the lowest point of the season.

The anger and bitterness that surrounded the final whistle, with Wetherall having to drag Windass away from the official, put the seal on a shocking day.