Blackpool 2-1 Blackburn Rovers: Shayne Lavery hits eighth goal of season in Seasiders' win
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Shayne Lavery scored for the third straight game before going off injured
Blackpool made a fast start to beat Blackburn at Bloomfield Road and extend their unbeaten run to four matches.
Shayne Lavery gave the Seasiders an early lead when his deflected shot found the far corner, but was then forced off injured midway through the first half.
His replacement Jerry Yates made it 2-0 just two minutes after coming on, bundling in a rebound from close range after Rovers goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski had kept out Gary Madine's header.
Ben Brereton-Diaz turned in John Buckley's cross to pull one back soon after half-time, and had a late effort disallowed for offside, but Blackburn slipped to back-to-back defeats.
After a slow start following promotion, Blackpool have chalked up four wins in six matches to climb to 12th, while Rovers dropped to eighth after their third defeat of the season.
Keshi Anderson had a hand in both Blackpool goals, playing in Lavery for his eighth of the season and it was his cross for Madine which sparked the second.
Blackburn's chances of pulling off a comeback then suffered a further blow when forward Sam Gallagher limped off moments before the break.
Yet the presence of in-form Brereton-Diaz inspired hope and he duly grabbed his sixth goal in three games with a first-time finish.
The hosts then lost captain, and goalkeeper, Chris Maxwell in an afternoon interrupted by injuries and stoppages and Rovers stepped up the pressure late on.
Brereton-Diaz was denied his 11th goal of the season by an offside call and six minutes into stoppage-time replacement keeper Stuart Moore tipped away Tyrhys Dolan's looping header.
Blackpool head coach Neil Critchley told BBC Radio Lancashire:
"I'm very pleased. I thought it was a really good game, a good derby.
"I thought we were fantastic first half, played some really good football, deservedly winning at half-time.
"Second half, we had to show a lot of character, plenty of resilience.
"Overall we have had a good few weeks. I'm delighted with the three points."
Blackburn boss Tony Mowbray told BBC Radio Lancashire:
"Did we come second best in the first half? Undoubtedly and that was the frustration in the dressing room at half-time.
"Because the team is young and has been doing alright, I think these are really harsh but good lessons for the team that not every game is just a nice game of football.
"There are days when you have to roll your sleeves up.
"I'm really disappointed we didn't come away with anything after the effort they put into the second half and the fact they managed to turn it around, but credit to Blackpool."
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