Blackpool 2, West Brom 3: Full Time Report
Graham Dorrans` fourth penalty in four games helped secure a dramatic late victory over Blackpool that sent West Brom back into the Coca-Cola Championship's automatic promotion places.
The Scotland international blasted home an 83rd-minute winner from the spot to silence a home crowd who were still celebrating a strike from new signing Stephen Dobbie that looked to have secured a point.
Hesitant defending from both sides played a huge part as five goals rained in, with Albion striker Roman Bednar grabbing a brace to cancel out Keith Southern`s opener and hand the visitors a 2-1 lead at the break.
The victory took the Black Country outfit above Nottingham Forest into second place and just three points behind leaders Newcastle, while Blackpool missed out on the chance to climb into the play-off places.
The encounter survived heavy snowfall late in the afternoon and, backed by a healthy away following, it was Albion who started the encounter on the front foot.
Blackpool, though, soon settled on a difficult surface and looked to force the issue, using the left wing to good effect.
And the majority of the 8,510 crowd at Bloomfield Road were brought to their feet in the 25th minute as Southern waltzed past Robert Koren and danced towards goal without as much as a challenge from a static Baggies defence.
He was left with plenty of time to pick his spot and fire a low shot past the helpless Scott Carson.
But West Brom were back on level terms within minutes as Bednar got behind the Pool defence as rounded Paul Rachubka before calmly slotting home.
The visitors were finding plenty of joy against a languid home defence far too reliant on an offside trap that was not working.
And it came as no real surprise when Roberto Di Matteo`s side took the lead in style just before the interval.
Albion`s creative spark Chris Brunt found the overlapping Gonzalo Jara who had made a great bursting run down the right, he then sent an inch-perfect ball over to Bednar to fire home from 12 yards.
Injury to Danny Coid meant Blackpool boss Ian Holloway was forced to reshuffle his shaky back line at the interval, although substitute Andy Butler`s first touch almost nestled in his own net.
Pool immediately went on the offensive in search of a quickfire leveller and deadline-day arrival DJ Campbell, who started in attack, was soon joined by fellow January signing Dobbie and Gary Taylor-Fletcher as Holloway dealt all his cards.
