Blackburn Rovers 1-1 Blackpool

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Grant HallImage source, Empics
Image caption,

Grant Hall played under Lee Clark on loan at Birmingham earlier this season

Bottom-of-the-table Blackpool picked up a point at Blackburn thanks to Grant Hall's first-half equaliser.

The hosts broke the deadlock early in the first half when Jordan Rhodes latched onto Craig Conway's cross.

But the Seasiders were level before the break when Hall calmly headed past Rovers goalkeeper Jason Steele.

Blackburn hit the woodwork twice through Rudy Gestede, while Joe Lewis parried away a volleyed effort from Rhodes in the closing stages.

The draw gave Blackpool just their sixth away point in the Championship this season.

Blackburn, meanwhile, drew for the second time since their FA Cup fifth-round win over Premier League side Stoke City.

It looked like being a comfortable afternoon for Rovers when they took their early lead, Conway drilling a left-wing cross for the unmarked Rhodes to notch his 12th goal of the season.

The hosts could have doubled their advantage minutes later when Matt Kilgallon combined with Tommy Spurr but the former's volley was miscued.

Hall managed to level for Blackpool before half-time, heading home Jamie O'Hara's rebounded free-kick.

The visitors could have gone 2-1 up after another O'Hara set-piece was tipped onto the post, before Hall fired the rebound wide.

Rovers continued to apply pressure after the break, with Gestede twice hitting the crossbar and Rhodes trying his luck with an overhead kick.

Despite further late chances for substitute Chris Brown and ex-Blackpool defender Alex Baptiste, the visitors held on to seal a rare away point.

Blackburn manager Gary Bowyer:

"The number of chances we've created was excellent, it's just converting them.

"The game is sometimes very simple and today's assessment is that we weren't quite ruthless enough to convert the chances we've created."

Blackpool manager Lee Clark:

"I knew when I first walked through the door it was an extremely tough situation, I thought we can survive, I still believe we can.

"It's getting harder by the game but we've still got to keep fighting. What's encouraging is the players are still fighting, they aren't throwing in the towel and the supporters can see that.

"Things can happen that are absolutely outrageous and from now until the end of the season we could go on a ridiculous run of wins that do it for us.

"While there's the possibility of doing it we've got to hope we can."

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