Blackpool 2 Mansfield Town 2

POOL'S run of 25 games without a draw finally ended against a stubborn Mansfield Town although the Seasiders will be grateful of the point gained, from this below par performance.

Ian Hughes was again left out in favour Danny Shittu who received the Division's player of the month award prior to the game but this was to prove a jinx for the big man.

After only three minutes a mistake by Shittu allowed Mansfield's Craig Disley to find a gap in the Seasiders defence but just when he over-ran the ball for Phil Barnes to collect, Shittu bizarrely hacked him down for a blatant penalty.

Chris Greenacre, formally on loan with Pool, scored from the spot.

Pool should soon have equalised when Brian Reid somehow managed not to get his head on a cross when any contact would have levelled the score. But ten minutes later a short corner involving Simpson and Jaszczun resulted in a perfect cross for big John Murphy in the box.

It was the kind of ball he thrives on and he equalised with a perfect header into the far corner.

After earache from Steve McMahon the Seasiders looked to finish the game off in the second half.

But their plans were soon destroyed when Liam Lawrence's shot wasn't dealt with and Chris Greenacre stabbed past Barnes for his second goal. And substitutions, which brought Steve Bushell and Richard Walker on for Mike Milligan and Richard Wellens didn't seem to inspire the Seasiders.

Lee Collins was jeered by the fans for his lack-lustre challenges and his performance pretty much summed up Pool's afternoon, as they never really achieved any sustained pressure on the visitors goal.

But with three minutes left a huge kick somehow found its way to Brett Ormerod who beat his defender to the ball to smash home into the roof of the net and rescue a point.

With three minutes of injury time played you wouldn't have bet against the Seasiders grabbing a winner in the dying seconds.

But they had left it too late and will be relived to have kept their unbeaten run at home intact.

Neither side deserved to win and in a game where four chances produced four goals a draw was a fair result.