Blackburn Rovers 1 Blackpool 1: match report - Jordan Rhodes rescues struggling Blackburn

Jordan Rhodes rescued a point for managerless Blackburn, who extended their winless run to nine matches against Lancashire neighbours Blackpool.

Michael Appleton – who led the Seasiders to a 2-0 victory over Rovers in December before taking up the reins at Ewood Park a month later – was sacked last week to leave Gary Bowyer in caretaker charge, as he was following Henning Berg's similarly brief tenure earlier in the campaign.

Such chaos behind the scenes under controversial owners Venky's has been reflected by dismal performances on the field and on-loan MK Dons centre-back Gary MacKenzie gave Blackpool a 64th-minute lead as Rovers once again failed to convince.

They looked set to rue earlier missed chances by David Jones and Josh King but Scotland international striker Rhodes secured a share of the spoils with his 24th Championship goal of the season.

Tom Ince and substitute Elliot Grandin came close to sealing the points for Paul Ince's men, but both teams edged five points clear of the Championship relegation zone having shared very different ambitions at the start of the season.

By the hour mark, the away side had successfully pushed Rovers back and it was therefore on the cards when MacKenzie reacted quickest to smuggle home at the near post after goalkeeper Jake Kean touched Alex Baptiste's header from Ince's right-wing corner away from the goalmouth.

The equaliser came in the 79th minute with set-piece vulnerability on display once more – Todd Kane heading across goal from Lee Williamson's chip into the box after Pool failed to clear for Rhodes to nod home and end a six-game goal drought for club and country.

Blackpool came close to coming away with the win but Kean parried Ince's shot at the end of a run and also tipped over Grandin's header.

Blackburn Rovers (4-3-3): Kean; Kane, Dann, Hanley, Morris; Williamson, Lowe, Jones (Best, 71); King (Kazim-Richards, 61), Dunn (Stewart, 89), Rhodes.

Blackpool (4-5-1): Gilks; Baptiste, Broadfoot, MacKenzie, Crainey; Ferguson, Basham (Grandin, 84), Sylvestre, M Phillips (Futacs, 84), Ince; Derbyshire (Delfouneso, 57).

Referee M Russell (Hertfordshire).