BLACKPOOL 0 WALSALL 2

DEFENSIVE lapses were the fault behind this weak display by Blackpool at Bloomfield Road on Saturday (April 3), writes Chris Dixon.

The Seasiders were never allowed to get into this game as they proved ineffective both in attack and defence.

Much as I hate to name players for poor performances, Clark Carlisle really can play better than this.

It's not so much the fact that he gave the ball away for the first goal.

It's not even that he should have cleared the ball for the second.

The infuriating thing was seeing him turn around to see Walsall score without attempting to tackle back - not even an attempt at running after the player who dispossessed him.

And loan-striker Sturridge proved yet again how ineffective he can be and he was not missed when Chris Malkin came on to replace him.

Malkin worked hard on the pitch and Brett Ormerod, although once more failing to score, played his heart out.

Promotion-seeking Walsall were a class above Blackpool.

Darko Mavrak dispossessed Carlisle with ease before powering past him and hammering the ball past Tony Caig on just six minutes.

And Bjarni Larusson was a constant threat to the Seasiders before he put the game beyond their reach on 57 minutes.

Carlisle missed what looked like an easy header to clear the ball from the box forcing Caig to save from Sigurdur Eyjolsson before Larusson slotted the ball in for number two.

Fans queuing for the East Paddock looked surprised to see the gates shut - not enough of the club's marshals turned up to police the area.

Those fans who turned for home instead of watching from another stand made the best choice of the day!

Marvin Bryan went close to lobbing Caig for an own-goal and that was the closest a Seasider went to scoring.

In fact the match was one-way traffic from start to finish.

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