Form guide makes grim reading

Hidden behind the current form guide for Cherries at the moment are a dearth of experience and a lack of confidence coursing through the squad like wildfire.

And with funds always in short supply at Dean Court, it is no secret Sean O'Driscoll is likely to see his resources weakened rather than strengthened in his hour of need, particularly when the vultures swoop around transfer deadline.

In 12 previous league visits to Bloomfield Road, Cherries had triumphed on two occasions and subsequently won promotion in the same season, with O'Driscoll featuring as a player in their last victory in 1987.

But as the hat-trick bid failed on Saturday, this latest defeat has heightened fears the club could find themselves in a different division next season, although on this occasion, it will not be a feat to celebrate.

With both sides looking for their first league triumph since November 10, the Seasiders condemned Cherries to their eighth game without a win to push O'Driscoll's beleaguered boys a step closer to the trapdoor.

The statistics of the current sequence make for grim reading and with three points gained from a possible 24 and just five goals scored in the same period, Cherries are displaying true relegation form.

To compound their worries, six of their previous eight league encounters have been against teams also in the lower reaches of Division Two, while, even more alarmingly, seven of their next eight are against sides with aspirations of promotion.

Cherries almost pinched an early goal inside the opening two minutes at Bloomfield Road, but Blackpool goalkeeper Phil Barnes beat Warren Feeney to Gareth Stewart's huge punt. The Seasiders hit back when a centre from the right flashed across the face of the goalmouth with John Murphy lurking before John Hills seized on a loose ball and fired wide with a left-foot shot.

But it was Cherries who opened the scoring after eight minutes when a neat build up ended with James Hayter glancing home a pinpoint cross from the left flank by Wade Elliott.

Hayter's header ended a near five-and-a-half year goal drought for Cherries at Bloomfield Road, their previous goal scored by Ian Cox during a 1-1 draw in 1996 when Rio Ferdinand was handed his full league debut as an unknown 17-year-old.

Blackpool, always dangerous on the attack but decidedly sluggish and uncertain at the back, were almost rocked by a second goal when Shaun Maher headed Hayter's 25th-minute free kick narrowly wide.

But disaster struck for Cherries, who sorely missed the presence of suspended captain Eddie Howe at the heart of their defence, when Blackpool equalised in the 27th minute and then forged into the lead just four minutes later.

Firstly, Richard Walker gave Jason Tindall the slip after latching on to a pass from Lee Collins and drilled a left-foot shot past the despairing dive of Stewart.

Then, Blackpool were awarded a controversial penalty when Carl Fletcher was penalised for handling a John Hills corner in the six-yard box.

Fletcher claimed he had been pushed, but referee Graham Laws was having none of it and pointed to the spot. And from the resultant penalty, Hills rammed home number two despite Stewart guessing correctly, the Cherries number one well beaten for pace to his left.

The lively Warren Feeney spurned a glorious chance to equalise six minutes before the break when, with just Barnes to beat from the edge of the box, he chipped the ball tamely into the Blackpool goalkeeper's arms.

But in first-half stoppage time, Cherries levelled with a splendid goal which owed much to the dogged persistence of both Hayter and David Birmingham.

Hayter chased what at first appeared to be a lost cause but managed to keep the ball in play near the corner flag and knocked it into the path of Birmingham who rode two tackles before squaring into the danger area.

In an attempt to clear his lines, Danny Coid proceeded to place the ball invitingly into the path of Fletcher who atoned for his early error by thumping an unstoppable right-foot drive into the roof of the net from the edge of the box.

Boosted by their equaliser at the end of the first period, Cherries visibly grew in confidence during the early stages of the second half.

Feeney's pace posed a real threat to the Blackpool defence and seven minutes after the re-start, he ended an electrifying run with a right-foot shot which just flashed past the post.

A well-worked corner routine ended with Fletcher stepping over Hayter's delivery and when the ball came to Brian Stock, he unleashed a piledriver which was blocked by a Blackpool defender.

Elliott tried his luck from distance and almost saw his pot-shot catch Barnes unaware with the goalkeeper's blushes spared when the ball hit his shoulder before bouncing away to safety.

Blackpool began to rediscover some of their first-half form and only a brave last-ditch tackle by Maher denied Martin Bullock giving the home side the lead.

However, somewhat against the run of play, Blackpool edged into the lead when a cross from Graham Fenton was bundled over the line by Walker with the help of Hayter, who, in trying to clear the danger, proceeded to drive the ball onto a post and into the back of the net.

It was a cruel blow for Hayter who must have covered every blade of grass as he ran his socks off, tormenting Blackpool with his probing runs, engineering numerous Cherries attacks and helping his team-mates out in defence.

As gaps began to appear at the back as Cherries piled forward in search of another equaliser, Bullock capitalised by haring through unchallenged before slipping the ball to Fenton who lifted a delightful effort over Stewart to make it 4-2 with eight minutes remaining.

It could have been 5-2 when Richie Wellens smacked a right-foot shot against the crossbar and although Fletcher pounced to grab his second and Cherries' third in the dying seconds - again from a Hayter assist - the visitors were eventually beaten by the clock.