Seasiders ensure play-off spot

Blackpool produced a clinical display to secure their place in the Championship play-offs with a 4-0 win over Burnley at Bloomfield Road.

Ian Holloway's side made it six games without defeat and will now be dreaming of a second Wembley triumph in three seasons and an instant return to the Premier League. Stephen Dobbie scored his fifth goal in as many starts since rejoining the Seasiders on loan from Swansea, clattering home from distance to make it 1-0 at the break. Gary Taylor-Fletcher, Stephen Crainey and substitute Nouha Dicko all got in on the act after the interval to avenge a 3-1 loss to their Lancashire rivals earlier in the season. Burnley, unbeaten in their previous four games, played a full part in an absorbing contest as home goalkeeper Matt Gilks was forced into impressive saves from Chris McCann, Charlie Austin, Junior Stanislas and Ross Wallace. Dobbie returned from a back injury to replace Lomana LuaLua in attack, Holloway's only change to the Blackpool side that beat Leeds 1-0 in midweek. Burnley were unchanged from the XI that claimed a goalless draw at Leicester. The hosts had a strong claim for a penalty turned down in the second minute when Dobbie's shot struck Dean Marney's hand, while an early surge forward from livewire Blackpool winger Tom Ince was eventually snuffed out by the Clarets defence. Gilks made a fine stop at his near post to deny Burnley captain McCann from Wallace's left-wing cross in the eighth minute. Shortly afterwards his opposite number Lee Grant was at full stretch to keep out a 25-yard strike from Ince. Blackpool took a 21st-minute lead in fine style when Crainey laid off a free-kick 30 yards from goal for Dobbie to smash low drive past Grant. Gilks clawed away an effort from marauding Burnley full-back Kieran Trippier as the visitors sought an immediate response, but Dobbie was inches away from doubling his tally in the 24th minute as Ince's curling cross narrowly evaded him. The Clarets pushed for an equaliser before the interval as Gilks thwarted headers from McCann and Austin, producing a fine double stop when winger Stanislas pounced on the rebound from the latter attempt, but a minute into the second half Blackpool doubled their lead. Crainey claimed another assist, looping a cross to the back post where Taylor-Fletcher beat a pair of Burnley defenders to head his eighth goal of the season. Wallace brought yet another excellent stop from Gilks with a low curling free-kick from the edge of the area before Holloway's men put the result beyond doubt just after the hour. Dobbie and Ince exchanged passes to send Crainey into the area, the full-back struck with the outside of his left-foot and Grant allowed the shot to slip between his hands and into the net. Blackpool then indulged in some bouts of showboating, delighting the Bloomfield Road crowd, leaving Dicko to put the icing on the cake in the 80th minute. Fellow replacement Kevin Phillips released Ince, who calmly squared to for the on-loan Wigan man to finish.