Blackpool 3-3 Bristol City: Theo Corbeanu salvages late draw for the hosts

Blackpool's Jerry Yates scores his team's secondImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Jerry Yates' goal was his second in as many games

Theo Corbeanu came off the bench to score a 90th-minute equaliser as Blackpool salvaged a thrilling 3-3 draw with Bristol City at Bloomfield Road.

Nahki Wells crashed a first-minute effort off the post for the Robins before a deflected shot from Josh Bowler wrong-footed Daniel Bentley at the other end to put the hosts ahead just six minutes later.

Tommy Conway prodded home a deserved leveller for Bristol City just before the break, meeting an Alex Scott cross at the near post for his third goal in three league games.

Jerry Yates' close-range flicked finish from a corner put the Seasiders ahead early in the second half, only for Antoine Semenyo to level for the Robins 20 seconds after coming off the bench in the 63rd minute.

City then took the lead for the first time in chaotic fashion, with Kal Naismith testing Daniel Grimshaw with a free-kick, only for Wells to then pounce and head onto the bar before Marvin Ekpiteta directed the ball into his own net.

That had looked like being enough to seal all three points before Corbeanu struck late on.

Bristol City were looking to make it three consecutive league wins under Nigel Pearson for the first time, and were bright from the outset at Bloomfield Road with the post the only thing that denied Wells inside the first minute.

While Wells failed to give the visitors the ideal start, Bowler made the most of Blackpool's first meaningful moment in front of goal, linking-up with Gary Madine before seeing the ball home off a visiting defender.

Andreas Weimann tried an audacious chipped effort to restore parity, but he lifted the ball over goalkeeper Grimshaw and onto the roof of the net in the 11th minute.

Conway, who was denied by Grimshaw before Austrian Weimann turned a follow-up effort over in the 26th minute, eventually found the back of the net for Pearson's side at the end of a highly entertaining first half.

Yates' well-taken finish after a corner was knocked down for him was quickly cancelled out by Semenyo, while Ekpiteta's own goal - after Naismith called on Grimshaw to make a scrambling save with a deceptive free-kick - appeared to put the Robins on course for their first league win away from home this season.

With time ticking down, City were punished for some slack passing deep in their own half as Corbeanu won possession before drilling home the equaliser for Blackpool's second successive 3-3 draw after holding Burnley a week earlier.

Blackpool head coach Michael Appleton:

"Obviously two 3-3 draws on the bounce is exciting for the fans. I was a little bit more pleased last week with the 3-3 than I was with the one this week.

"But the players have shown great character today. It was a game full of errors for both sides, it was just one of those games - it could've been 6-6.

"I just felt once we went 2-1 up we were dominating the game, controlling it and we had some really good opportunities to turn the screw and go two ahead and that didn't happen and when that doesn't happen, you can get punished as we did."

Bristol City boss Nigel Pearson:

"We're disappointed that we didn't see the game through because we played well. We came up against a side who caused us quite a few problems with a relatively direct style at times.

"We went behind twice, bounced back, kept our composure and it's just unfortunate that individual errors have cost us those two extra points.

"Once a bit of time goes by I'll reflect in a slightly different way but at the minute we've basically thrown away a couple of points which is very frustrating because we've played well."

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