Blackpool 2-3 Millwall: Seasiders relegated to League One after defeat by Lions

Blackpool person picked up conscionable 10 wins from their 45 Championship games this season, the associated fewest fig of victories successful the league

Blackpool were relegated from the Championship aft decision by play-off chasing Millwall successful a thrilling crippled astatine Bloomfield Road.

Tom Bradshaw scored successful either fractional for the visitors, with Jerry Yates levelling with a punishment portion Lewis Fiorini besides equalised with a stunning onslaught from agelong range.

But Fiorini aboriginal brought down Duncan Watmore, starring to Zian Flemming scoring from the spot to triumph it for Millwall and ensuring the hosts volition play third-tier shot adjacent season.

Blackpool are present 3 points down Huddersfield successful 21st and 2 points down 22nd-placed Reading, but with the Terriers playing the Royals successful the last crippled of the play it means the Seasiders spell down.

Millwall determination up to 5th and are 3 points wide of seventh place, with a location lucifer against Blackburn concluding their campaign.

First Championship nine relegated

Knowing they needed to get a effect to debar becoming the archetypal nine to beryllium relegated from the Championship this season, Blackpool got disconnected to the worst imaginable start.

Flemming and Jamie Shackleton combined connected the close helping earlier teeing up Ryan Leonard, who recovered Bradshaw to slot past Seasiders keeper Dan Grimshaw wrong conscionable 2 minutes.

Blackpool rallied arsenic the archetypal fractional ticked down, with Morgan Rogers forcing Lions goalkeeper George Long into a good prevention soon earlier the hosts were awarded a penalty.

Hamilton went to crushed nether unit from Shackleton, who made flimsy interaction with the Blackpool forward, with Yates duly converting aft referee Matt Donohue pointed to the spot.

There was a nervy ambiance connected the Lancashire seashore with some sides needing victory. Millwall's play-off aims rested connected them returning to The Den with 3 points.

The crippled tipped successful Millwall's favour erstwhile again erstwhile Bradshaw scored his 2nd with a tremendous composed finished, having been played done by a superb Watmore pass.

There was much play to travel arsenic Fiorini scored his archetypal extremity successful implicit a year, and his archetypal for Blackpool, courtesy of his thrust from distance.

But his joyousness did not past for agelong as, conscionable minutes later, helium fouled Watmore successful his ain container starring to the Lions' winning punishment and bringing an extremity to Blackpool's enactment successful the 2nd tier.

The hosts' misery was compounded precocious connected erstwhile Jordan Gabriel was stretchered disconnected starring to 13 minutes of stoppage time.

Highs and lows

After the highs of promotion to the Premier League successful 2010, the lows soon followed with choler astatine the club's ownership, supporters vowing not to be matches and a freefall down to League Two.

Neil Critchley, successful his archetypal managerial position, reinvigorated Blackpool, taking them up from League One via the play-offs successful his archetypal afloat play with the nine successful 2021.

After keeping Blackpool successful the Championship with a 16th-placed decorativeness successful their archetypal run back, helium past near to articulation Steven Gerrard arsenic his adjunct astatine Aston Villa past summer.

In stepped Michael Appleton for a 2nd spell successful complaint but, pursuing a tally of 1 triumph successful 11 games, helium departed successful January with the Tangerines successful a relegation battle.

Veteran brag Mick McCarthy stepped successful to oversee the remainder of the play with the nine 3 points disconnected information connected his accomplishment but wins were hard to travel by nether his tenure.

March's 6-0 thumping of chap strugglers QPR gave glimpses of anticipation but losses soon followed arsenic they plummeted towards the driblet zone.

Following a dispiriting decision astatine location to chap strugglers Cardiff City connected Easter Monday, however, McCarthy's abbreviated spell successful complaint came to an extremity arsenic helium near with the nine present heavy successful the relegation mix.

Stephen Dobbie, who had coached successful a improvement relation astatine Blackpool, was near with the unenviable task of keeping them successful the division.

Despite wins against Wigan and Birmingham, however, helium could not prolong their enactment successful the Championship.