Blackpool hit six past QPR as Seasiders boost Championship survival hopes
- Planet Sport writer
- 14 March 2023
Blackpool gave themselves renewed hope of avoiding the drop from the Sky Bet Championship thanks to a thumping 6-1 victory against shellshocked QPR.
The Seasiders recorded by far their biggest win of the season to move within just three points of potential safety.
Only a second success in 20 league games was secured in some style against a Rangers side that never recovered from a disastrous start.
Mick McCarthy's Seasiders made a dream start as they went three up after only 14 minutes.
The opener came following a penalty award after only 44 seconds.
Morgan Rogers' initial attempt was blocked before Jerry Yates fired in a shot from inside the box. Referee Jeremy Simpson pointed straight to the spot after adjudging that the effort had been blocked by the arm of Rob Dickie.
Yates stepped up and drilled the penalty straight into the top corner.
Andy Lyons made it two when he darted in to meet CJ Hamilton's superb drag-back before coolly side-footing home.
Bloomfield Road was rocking again when a howler from QPR goalkeeper Seny Dieng led to a third goal.
Dieng hopelessly spilt James Husband's rather harmless cross at the feet of Curtis Nelson, who slotted his first Blackpool goal into an unguarded net from 15 yards.
Rangers were clearly shell-shocked, but they almost reduced the deficit when Husband superbly cleared skipper Chris Martin's strike off the line.
However, it got even worse nine minutes before the break. Some R's fans headed for the exits after watching Jordan Thorniley easily head home from Charlie Patino's corner.
Rangers at least had the final word of an incredible first half when Martin dived in to head home Lyndon Dykes' cross to make it 4-1.
It was five for Blackpool just three minutes after the restart. After Dieng brilliantly tipped Lyons' thunderbolt over the crossbar, the Blackpool midfielder then headed home from Patino's corner.
It was almost six when Rogers' shot thumped the inside of a post.
QPR simply had no answer to Blackpool's dominance, and every time the hosts went forward they looked capable of adding another goal.
Lyons was hungry for his hat-trick, but his effort just past the hour failed to trouble Dieng this time.
As the game began to fizzle out late on, Sam Field headed inches wide for the visitors, before substitute Kenny Dougall's crisp finish made it a superb six for Blackpool in the 88th minute.
