Blackpool halted a run of five successive defeats to claim a 1-1 draw against 10-man Aston Villa.
Makoun sent off as Villa hold on for draw
Blackpool halted a run of five successive defeats to claim a 1-1 draw against 10-man Aston Villa at Bloomfield Road.
In an entertaining first half, Villa took the lead after a well worked move within the opening 10 minutes.
Darren Bent's delightful pass into space found the run of Gabriel Agbonlahor.
The striker showed searing pace before rounding goalkeeper Richard Kingson and finding the far corner, despite the desperate attempts of two retreating defenders on the line.
However, Pool hit back within four minutes with the simplest of equalisers.
Charlie Adam's delicious corner was headed home at the near post by Elliot Grandin, although the midfielder was later substituted in the half after picking up a hamstring injury.
The visitors could have retaken the lead on the half-hour mark when Stewart Downing engineered a yard of space on the edge of the box before bending his left-foot effort against the far post.
Villa were then reduced to 10 men as Jean Makoun was given his marching orders by referee Howard Webb for a nasty challenge on DJ Campbell midway through the second half.
Ashley Young made an unsuccessful appeal for a penalty in stoppage time and both sides settled for a point apiece.
Poor
Villa were as poor in the second half as they were bright in the first half.
Bent had sight of goal inside the first minute after Agbonlahor picked him out but his effort was blocked.
Blackpool again found themselves on the back foot moments later when Young released Downing but his cross was scrambled away.
Villa made the breakthrough in the 10th minute following a swift counter-attack that left the home side exposed.
Bent laid the ball off to Agbonlahor and he showed a blistering turn of pace before going around Kingson and firing a shot into the corner.
However, not for the first time this time this season Ian Holloway's side stormed back and equalised in the 14th minute.
Grandin got a vital touch at the near post after Villa failed to deal with a corner from Adam.
Two minutes later Luke Varney should have put Blackpool ahead only to head wide from six yards following a cross from Marlon Harewood.
Play switched back down the other end and Downing came close to regaining the lead for the visitors in the 30th minute.
The former Middlesbrough winger carved out an opening for himself on the edge of the area only to see his curler come back off the outside of the post.
Bent, however, was not getting things all his own way at this stage but the England striker was happy to track back if needed.
Heart
Blackpool hit back in the 54th minute and almost took the lead with Adam at the heart of the move.
The Scotland midfielder released Varney on the left wing and he skipped to the byline before delivering the cross.
Campbell got on the end of it at the near post but clipped his effort wide of the target when it seemed easier to score.
Houllier then decided to freshen things up in attack with Emile Heskey replacing Bent in the 57th minute.
Blackpool were growing in confidence and Adam swung in a free-kick six minutes later but Villa managed to scramble the ball to safety.
Then Varney laid the ball into the path of Harewood on the edge of the area. However, he blazed a shot high over the bar before Puncheon sent his effort wide.
Villa were then reduced to 10 men in the 70th minute when Makoun was sent off for a challenge on Campbell.
Adam was pulling the strings in the middle of the park and released substitute Matt Phillips with a glorious ball in the 80th minute.
Phillips got a good touch but then found himself crowded out as he attempted to get in a shot.
Back came Villa and Young had an appeal for a penalty turned down in stoppage time after he went to ground following Ian Evatt's challenge before scuffing a shot wide.
| Blackpool |
Team Statistics |
Aston Villa |
| 1 |
Goals |
1 |
| 1 |
1st Half Goals |
1 |
| 1 |
Shots on Target |
2 |
| 10 |
Shots off Target |
3 |
| 6 |
Blocked Shots |
3 |
| 4 |
Corners |
8 |
| 15 |
Fouls |
14 |
| 2 |
Offsides |
3 |
| 2 |
Yellow Cards |
1 |
| 0 |
Red Cards |
1 |
| 71.9 |
Passing Success |
67.1 |
| 25 |
Tackles |
48 |
| 72.0 |
Tackles Success |
60.4 |
| 49.5 |
Possession |
50.5 |
| 51.3 |
Territorial Advantage |
48.7 |
|
