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Baggies back up to second

Image: Dorrans: Penalty winner

West Brom moved back up to second in the table after Graham Dorrans' penalty clinched a 3-2 win at Blackpool.

Dorrans penalty secures points after earlier Bednar brace

West Bromwich Albion moved back up to second in the Championship table after Graham Dorrans' penalty clinched a thrilling 3-2 win at Blackpool. Keith Southern had given Blackpool a 25th-minute lead at Bloomfield Road, but a brace from Roman Bednar had the Baggies in front by half-time. Substitute Stephen Dobbie marked his Seasiders debut by levelling 10 minutes from time, but Dorrans struck from the spot just three minutes later after Ishmael Miller had been fouled by Andy Butler to send West Brom above Nottingham Forest in the standings. The encounter survived heavy snowfall late in the afternoon and, backed by a healthy away following, it was Albion who started the encounter on the front foot. Blackpool, though, soon settled on a difficult surface and looked to force the issue, using the left wing to good effect. And the majority of the 8,510 crowd at Bloomfield Road were brought to their feet in the 25th minute as Southern waltzed past Robert Koren and danced towards goal without as much as a challenge from a static Baggies defence. He was left with plenty of time to pick his spot and fire a low shot past the helpless Scott Carson. But West Brom were back on level terms within minutes as Bednar got behind the Pool defence and rounded Paul Rachubka before calmly slotting home.

Languid

The visitors were finding plenty of joy against a languid home defence far too reliant on an offside trap that was not working. And it came as no real surprise when Roberto Di Matteo's side took the lead in style just before the interval. Albion's creative spark Chris Brunt found the overlapping Gonzalo Jara who had made a great bursting run down the right, he then sent an inch-perfect ball over to Bednar to fire home from 12 yards. Injury to Danny Coid meant Blackpool boss Ian Holloway was forced to reshuffle his shaky back line at the interval, although substitute Butler's first touch almost nestled in his own net. Pool immediately went on the offensive in search of a quickfire leveller and deadline-day arrival DJ Campbell, who started in attack, was soon joined by fellow January signing Dobbie and Gary Taylor-Fletcher as Holloway dealt all his cards. But it was Albion's deadline-day signing Andy Slory, also introduced from the bench, who should have added a third for the visitors just after the hour mark, yet he fired wide when in a good position. Dobbie then twice fired off target as he looked to make a quick impression of his own. Blackpool were applying all the pressure as the game entered the closing stages and Campbell saw his 25-yard strike hit the crossbar. And they were finally rewarded for their efforts in the 80th minute as Dobbie, aided by an Albion defence that backed off once again, found the bottom corner. But in similar fashion to the first half, Albion regained the lead almost immediately when Butler upended substitute Miller, leaving Dorrans to fire home the resulting penalty. Blackpool pressed again late on in search of another leveller but it was not to be.

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