Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Blackpool and Rotherham at Bloomfield Road as the Tangerines and the Millers played out a goalless draw on Saturday afternoon.
Saturday 11 February 2023 19:11, UK
Blackpool slipped to the bottom of the SkyBet Championship after a scrappy 0-0 draw with fellow relegation battlers Rotherham at Bloomfield Road.
Millers midfielder Oliver Rathbone went closest to breaking the deadlock, but Seasiders goalkeeper Chris Maxwell thwarted him with a fine save as both sides were forced to settle for a point.
New Blackpool boss Mick McCarthy is now without a win in his first four matches in charge in all competitions.
Grant Hall wasted a great chance to put the visitors ahead but he headed wide from Conor Coventry's free-kick four minutes before the break.
Blackpool forward Jerry Yates headed agonisingly wide against his former club as the home side started the second half with real purpose.
Cohen Bramall then went close to scoring, but his sweet right-foot strike struck the outside of the post and flew to safety.
Charlie Patino forced Viktor Johansson into a decent save shortly after the hour mark.
Maxwell then produced a fine save to thwart Rathbone but, despite both sides battling until the death, neither could find the breakthrough they craved.
Blackpool's Mick McCarthy:
"We prepared for a scrap, I can't knock any of the lads for the response they gave me. It was a bit of a war of attrition. I fully expected it and it didn't disappoint me.
"In all of that I thought we created some good chances and maybe just edged it, but I can't stand here and honestly say we deserved all three points. I thought we'd won it at the end but we got put through the ringer. I'll take the point in the end and we've not had a clean sheet for a long time, so I'll take that and some positives out of it."
Rotherham's Matt Taylor:
"I was disappointed at half-time because I thought they [Blackpool] affected us in terms of the way we used the ball It was a competitive match, of course it was, they were up and at us and they were quite physical and direct with their play.
"But any ball use we had turned into too many turnovers and we made too many errors in that first half. However, we were much improved in the second half, hence the chances we created. And but for hitting a post, the bar and a good goalkeeper's save, then we were just a little bit short."
