Coventry City 1-2 Blackpool: Jerry Yates scores again as Seasiders win at CBS Arena
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Blackpool top scorer Jerry Yates has now netted nine times in 17 games this season
Coventry City blew their chance to escape the Championship bottom three for the first time this season as the virus-hit Sky Blues allowed Blackpool to come from behind to win at the CBS Arena.
With their next home game in doubt against Blackburn Rovers on Tuesday night as their ongoing problems with their landlords persist, they appeared unaffected by this latest off-field issue when they went ahead through Kasey Palmer's late first-half strike.
Callum O'Hare set up Palmer, whose right-foot shot found the bottom left corner but within eight minutes of the restart, Blackpool were level when former Coventry loan signing Gary Madine headed home James Husband's cross.
A point would still have been enough for Mark Robins' Sky Blues to escape the bottom three, but Blackpool had not read the script - and Jerry Yates scored his seventh goal in five games when he crowned the Seasiders' comeback with a far-post header 10 minutes from time.
Coventry were down to the bare bones due to both illness and injuries as Robins was forced into four changes from Tuesday's 2-2 comeback draw at home to Rotherham.
The injured Martyn Waghorn and Fankaty Dabo were replaced by O'Hare and Todd Kane, while Viktor Gyokeres and Michael Rose were left on the bench in favour of Palmer and Jonathan Panzo.
But, after three missed chances by Madine, the hosts went ahead when Palmer atoned for firing an earlier effort over the bar by latching onto O'Hare's clever flick and threading the ball through Blackpool defender Jordan Thorniley's legs before slotting calmly into the bottom corner for his first goal for Coventry.
Madine then got on the end of Husband's cross to loop a header in for a deserved equaliser before Yates won all three points.
Husband was again the supply line, crossing from the left for Yates to direct his header back across goal inside the left upright to earn Blackpool a third win in five games.
Who's next?
While doubts remain over whether or where Coventry City will play Blackburn on Tuesday night, as the Sky Blues continue to search for an alternative venue,15th-placed Blackpool will be at bottom club West Bromwich Albion.
Coventry City boss Mark Robins:
"The powers that be, whatever happens, should facilitate that we are allowed to continue to play our games here. Anything else is detrimental.
"The players, the staff, the club have been punched around far too long. This place was built for us to play our home games in and this is where we should be playing our home games.
"There's also a virus sweeping through us. I've never known anything like it. Their energy is low, but they've still worked their socks off. I've got very little to choose from.
"Out of that starting line-up, Todd Kane hasn't played, Kyle McFadzean is ill, Jonathan Panzo ill, Jake Bidwell ill, Ben Sheaf has had a knock and wouldn't necessarily have started, Jamie Allen ill, and Kasey Palmer is ill."
Blackpool manager Michael Appleton:
"It just shows what a good place Gary Madine is in. He could have had a couple in the first half, but he's working his socks off, his numbers are as high as they've ever been.
"That's what the lads in the medical team are telling me with the work rate he's putting in. It shows where he's at."
"We were great. I'd go as far as saying the opening 35 minutes are as good as we've been since I've been at the club. Some of the football we play, some of the chances we've created, the only thing that's let us down is the finishing.
"But the performance had everything because to go in a goal down with the only opportunity they've really created in that first half, to show the character, the calmness and the belief we had in that second half was obviously a great away day."