Blackpool threw away a two-goal lead at Bloomfield Road as Luton Town fought back to draw 2-2, leaving Steve Bruce under mounting pressure.
The Seasiders appeared to be cruising after CJ Hamilton’s double, but a late collapse ensured more frustration for supporters and intensified speculation over Bruce’s future.
Hamilton at the Double
Blackpool made a blistering start, with Hamilton striking inside ten minutes after good link-up play between Ashley Fletcher and Josh Bowler. His powerful effort deflected off goalkeeper Josh Keeley and into the net. The winger then added a second shortly after the restart, finishing coolly following a counter-attack sparked by Jordan Brown. It looked to be the night when the Seasiders finally turned a corner.
The hosts had further opportunities to extend their lead. Dale Taylor was denied by a block, while Michael Ihiekwe sent a header wide from a corner. At the other end, Bailey Peacock-Farrell produced strong saves to keep out Lamine Fanne as Luton pressed for a route back into the contest.
Late Collapse
Just as Blackpool seemed set to secure a vital victory, familiar frailties re-emerged. Luton pulled one back with 12 minutes to go, when George Saville slipped the ball into Jordan Clark on the right edge of the area. His strike took a huge deflection off Olly Casey, wrong-footing Bailey Peacock-Farrell and nestling into the corner.
Then, deep into added time, came the killer blow for Blackpool. Gideon Kodua was clipped by Casey as he looked to break into the box, with referee Woods initially waving play on before reversing his decision and awarding a penalty. The West Ham loanee stepped up under pressure and calmly rolled the ball past Peacock-Farrell to spark wild celebrations among the 500 travelling Hatters fans
For Bruce, the result represents another damaging evening. Blackpool had produced arguably their brightest display of the season for long spells, only to see it unravel late on. The draw stretches their poor run and leaves them without a league win since August, with frustrations from the stands increasingly audible at full-time.
Writer’s View
This was a match that summed up Blackpool’s season under Bruce: moments of promise undermined by a lack of resilience when it mattered most.
Hamilton’s brace should have been the platform for a morale-boosting win, but once the pressure came, the Seasiders folded. Supporters can point to injuries as mitigation, but the manner of this collapse will heighten scrutiny of the manager.
With form stalling and expectations higher than mid-table survival, Bruce must find a way to steady the ship quickly. Otherwise, it is hard to see how the board can ignore the growing sense that change may be needed to halt the slide.
