Sheffield Wednesday 0-3 Blackpool
An impressive Blackpool side led by veterans Kevin Phillips and Lomana LuaLua comfortably knocked Sheffield Wednesday out of the FA Cup at a freezing cold Hillsborough on Tuesday night.
Wednesday never recovered from two goals inside the first quarter of an hour from Matt Phillips and LuaLua, while Ludovic Sylvestre rounded off the win with a second half strike.
It was Wednesday, however, who had the first real chance when Ryan Lowe seized on Alex Baptiste’s error in the second minute but shot straight at Matthew Gilks in the Blackpool goal when cleaned through.
That was about as good as it got for the Owls as just five minutes later, they were behind. Matt Phillips picked up the ball on the edge of the area and expertly placed his right footed shot beyond the reach of Bywater into the bottom left hand corner.
It was Matt Phillips’s 10th goal in as many games and the forward, who enjoyed a productive loan spell at Wednesday’s cross-city rivals Sheffield United earlier this season, demonstrated all evening long why he is one of the Football League’s hottest properties.
Blackpool made it 2-0 on 14 minutes when LuaLua cut in from the left hand side to curl a delicious shot into the far corner.
The Blackpool front four were, at times, unplayable with the experienced industry of Kevin Phillips, 38, and the guile and creativity of Lua Lua, 31, supported by the vibrant pace and trickery of 20 year old Matt Phillips and teenager Thomas Ince, son of Paul.
It was the younger of the Phillips who released Sylvestre on 54 minutes and the former Barcelona youngster bent his shot brilliantly past Bywater.
Blackpool had chances to make it four, notably when LuaLua, once again the centre of Blackpool’s play, flicked the ball over John Otsemobor for substitute John Fleck whose cross was just beyond the reach of Ince. Matt Phillips, meanwhile, shot wide when through on goal after quick feet and a turn of pace saw him evade Wednesday captain Rob Jones.
Wednesday did have a couple of chances of their own in the second half but shots from Lowe and Julian Bennett went wide either side of Gilks’ goal.
Blackpool manager Ian Holloway was understandably delighted with his side’s performance and its quality will certainly give the watching David Moyes something to think about as it is his Everton side that the Seasiders will play in the fifth round.
Wednesday, on the other hand, will have to hope that this disappointing performance will not impact upon their push for promotion from League One.
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