Blackpool 3-0 Carlisle United: Rhodes sinks dismal Blues

A Tomas Holy error saw Andy Lyons open the scoring in the first half before Jordan Rhodes poached two more for Blackpool in the second-half.

It was enough to see off Paul Simpson's side who offered painfully little attacking threat throughout.

Alfie McCalmont came close for the Cumbrians late on but it was a dismal showing from Carlisle and the Blues remain third bottom of League One.

Sam Lavelle shows his disappointment at full-time (Image: Richard Parkes)

They have now taken just one point from their last five league games as a big travelling support at Bloomfield Road was given nothing to shout about by the Cumbrians.

Some booed the team after the final whistle after a performance that only highlighted the need for major surgery to the squad in the January transfer window.

The key moment came on 22 minutes when Holy came for a hanging cross but failed to connect with his punch and was lobbed by Lyons.

Rhodes then clinched it for the superior home side when he fired home a rebound on 67 minutes, and the striker wrapped things other with a counter-attacking third in added time.

It extended United's wait since 1986 for a league win at Blackpool's ground and such a result never looked likely against Neil Critchley's team.

Simpson made two changes to his side, leaving out top scorer Jordan Gibson and Jack Armer and instead handing starts to McCalmont and Luke Plange.

Tomas Holy reacts as Blackpool celebrate the opener (Image: Richard Parkes)

Jack Robinson was preferred to Armer on the left as Jon Mellish returned to defence in a 3-5-2 system. The decision meant the end of a 72-game run of league starts for Armer.

Blackpool also made two changes from their previous league line-up, Callum Connolly and Lyons coming into the side in place of Owen Dale and Marvin Ekpiteta.

In front of a vocal travelling army of nearly 2,000 fans in Bloomfield Road's East Stand, things started evenly as both sides took time to master the challenging conditions.

Neither team could keep their first corners in play and chances were scarce early on, although Ben Barclay picked up an early booking for fouling Jake Beesley as the hosts broke.

Blackpool built a spell of possession in United's half and forced a half-chance when a James Husband cross was cleared as far as Matt Pennington, whose volley from the edge of the box went wide.

The home side had the lion's share of things without creating a serious opportunity amid some dogged Blues defending, but they were gifted a decisive opportunity in the 22nd minute.

Joe Garner in a tussle (Image: Richard Parkes)

A hanging cross from deep on the right saw Holy off his line but his attempted punch backfired, the keeper making minimal contact as Lyons picked the ball up on the left - and proceeded to send the ball over the stranded keeper.

Blackpool then tried to build on their lead with Kenny Dougall and Karamoko Dembele both having shots blocked.

United couldn't work anything meaningful in Blackpool territory, and Lyons almost wriggled in for another chance as Sam Lavelle denied him with some last-ditch defending.

The hosts' dominance of general play remained, Carlisle's only saving grace that Blackpool didn't work any more clear-cut chances.

They could have had a second close to the break but Rhodes could only divert Dembele's free-kick across goal and wide - United, for their part, ending the half without having had a single shot.

Jon Mellish tries to break forward (Image: Richard Parkes)

Carlisle showed a little more urgency in their play after the break but a Lyons shot which Holy pushed past the post saw Blackpool threaten again.

CJ Hamilton was next to go close for Critchley's side, finding the side-netting when fed by Dembele to the right,.

Simpson then made a triple change as Owen Moxon, after receiving treatment, was replaced along with Luke Plange and Dylan McGeouch and Gibson, Armer and Sean Maguire came on.

Some fans cheered the decision to replace Plange, before Carlisle's task became harder as Rhodes doubled Blackpool's lead, scoring after Holy had parried Beesley's effort.

Jordan Rhodes scores Blackpool's third (Image: Richard Parkes)

In response, sub Armer reached a deep cross but failed to trouble keeper Dan Grimshaw, and took the Blues until the 74th minute to have any kind of serious shot, Gibson's effort from 30 yards charged down.

Simpson sent on Ryan Edmondson for the closing stages, as Ben Barclay glanced a Gibson cross wide.

United's best chance came on 80 minutes when Robinson, now in midfield, won a 50-50 before Armer cut in and crossed, but the arriving McCalmont cleared the bar with his first-time finish.

Some fans cheered when Luke Plange was substituted in the second half (Image: Richard Parkes)

Gibson saw a shot saved by Grimshaw after another break and Maguire was then denied at the near post as Carlisle showed some late impetus in the hunt for a consolation.

But it was far too late to make any mark on the game and Rhodes, after a Blackpool break which United failed to shut down, then fired home to make it 3-0.

A number of travelling fans booed as the Blues came over to applaud them at full-time, with many supporters having either left by then or well on their way out.

The defeat leaves them still three points adrift of the safety line in League One - the need for serious January reinforcements as clear as ever.

Blackpool: Grimshaw, Connolly, Husband, Pennington, Lyons (Dale 90), Carey (Morgan 76), Dougall (Norburn 90), Hamilton, Dembele (Gabriel 80), Beesley (Joseph 80), Rhodes. Not used: O’Donnell, Casey.

Goals: Lyons 22, Rhodes 67, 90.

United: Holy, Barclay, Lavelle, Mellish, Emmanuel, Robinson, McGeouch (Gibson 64), Moxon (Armer 64), McCalmont, Plange (Maguire 64), Garner (Edmondson 76). Not used: Breeze, Butterworth, Whelan.

Booked: Barclay, McGeouch, Robinson.

Ref: Lewis Smith.

Crowd: 11,848.