Matt Phillips may prove too hot a property for Ian Holloway to hold
Blackpool 2 Leeds United 1
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Your support makes all the difference.The two most sought-after wingers in the Championship, Tom Ince and Matt Phillips, teamed up to give Blackpool a pulsating turnaround against Leeds. Both subjects of Premier League bids last week, the pair showed why, if Ian Holloway can keep hold of them, the Seasiders will be a force this season.
The game was stretched almost from the off. Tiago Gomes brought a smart stop from Paddy Kenny, but the home side were undone seconds later. A glaring failure to pick up Tom Lees gave the defender the easiest of headers to open the scoring. Ince was denied what seemed a stonewall penalty while Kevin Phillips fluffed a one-on-one. The Seasiders were apoplectic with referee Dean Whitestone when they had a shout for handball turned down before Kenny pulled off a super stop from an Alex Baptiste strike.
Matt Phillips, who Southampton bid £5 million for, was left out at the weekend but Queens Park Rangers scouts will have been hugely impressed as, off the bench, he gave Blackpool impetus. If they lose him, Holloway wants a player in return.
Pool got their just rewards when Stephen Crainey's run and cross found substitute Nouha Dicko to tap home. Minutes later Ince seared beyond Sam Byram before putting a super ball in, which Phillips flicked past Kenny. It might have been more, but Phillips flashed over while Ludovic Sylveste hit the bar with a free kick.
Blackpool (4-3-3): Gilks; Eardley, Baptiste, Cathcart, Crainey; Angel (Dicko, 64), Gomes (M Phillips, 64), Osbourne; Ince, Taylor-Fletcher, K Phillips (Sylvestre, 76). Substitutes not used Grandin, Noguera, Halstead, Harris.
Leeds United (4-2-3-1): Kenny; Byram, Lees, Pearce, Peltier; Austin, Norris; White (Pugh, 79), McCormack (Diouf, 58), Varney; Becchio. Substitutes not used Drury, Kisnorbo, Ashdown, Brown, Gray.
Referee D Whitestone (Northamptonshire).
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