Freddy Eastwood is Coventry City's seaside star
COVENTRY City boss Chris Coleman declared himself happy with a fourth successive game unbeaten.
The Sky Blues had to come from behind to earn a point in the sunshine by the sea but could well have won.
Yet again they controlled long periods of the match without scoring and in the end Freddy Eastwood notched his second goal of the season in the 69th minute to cancel out a second-half opener by Ben Burgess.
A satisfied Coleman said: "We have come to a ground where the home team lost only four times last season and got a draw.
"Blackpool beat Birmingham 1-0 at St Andrew's last week and are playing with confidence.
"We did well in the first half but things just weren't falling for us in front of goal. Then, for 25 minutes after the break, they came at us strongly, hit the bar and then scored their goal.
"To be fair they could have stretched their lead.
"But we got back into it and Freddy scored a good goal while Clinton Morrison and Michael Mifsud had golden opportunities.
"Freddy has been doing everything but scoring of late. In fact in the \rst half the referee told him that if he had gone down in the area he would have awarded the penalty but Freddy wanted to score.
"He and Clinton have scored goals throughout their careers and they will continue to get to get goals.
"But they know they have got young Leon Best breathing down their necks and they have been rather snatching at things because they have been so desperate."
Coleman put out an unchanged side for the third time in a row and the players rewarded him with a lively first-half performance.
They could have led after only 22 seconds when Aron Gunnarsson, left in plenty of space just outside the area, tried his luck and saw his shot skim off the bar with keeper Paul Rachubka beaten.
It was an encouraging start and Coventry continued to press forward whenever they got the chance.
Six minutes later Leon McKenzie, enjoying a good battle with right-back Shaun Barker, got free along the left when Elliott Ward put him away.
Jay Tabb spotted the possibility and made a late dash into the six-yard area only for Ian Evatt to sweep the ball away from him with perfect timing.
McKenzie was working well but too often his final ball into the area lacked enough quality.
That was the case 15 minutes into the game when he over-hit his cross after good play by Tabb and Michael Doyle.
The home side had managed precious little to endanger the City back four and Barker had to come to the Seasiders' rescue midway through the half when Freddy Eastwood wriggled some room inside the area.
The ball fell for McKenzie but his shot was charged down by Barker inside the six-yard area.
The towering Ben Burgess was proving a handful in the air and began to come more into the game the longer it went on.
He skied one shot well over the bar and then threatened to latch on to a cross from Steve Kabba and it took a well-judged header from Isaac Osbourne to clear the danger.
Coventry needed to push on in the second half but they failed to maintain their momentum and the home side broke the deadlock.
Blackpool managed to turn defence into attack when Ward failed to be decisive on the edge of their penalty area when he looked set to latch on to a corner from Dan Fox.
Gary Taylor-Fletcher broke at pace along the right and, when he crossed in low, Burgess was on hand to turn the ball over the line.
Suddenly they were in control and looked likely to add to their lead. Edwards went close just after the hour and Burgess headed against the bar.
Coventry needed a spark of something different to be back in the game and the industrious Eastwood provided it when he ran round the back of the Pool rearguard before finishing well with his left foot.
Coleman's men never really managed a final push although at the death Michael Mifsud could have captured all three points but he volleyed straight to the keeper.
BLACKPOOL (4-4-2): Rachubka; Barker, Edwards, Evatt, Camara; Taylor-Fletcher, Southern (Hamill 76), Jorgensen, Vaughan; Kabba, Burgess.
Subs: Coid, Fox, Rehman, Gow.
COVENTRY CITY (4-4-2): Westwood; Osbourne, Ward, Dann, Fox; Tabb, Gunnarsson, Doyle, McKenzie (Mifsud 86); Eastwood, Morrison (Best 86).
Subs: Marshall, Hall, Beuzelin.
STAR MAN: Scott Dann.
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