Blackpool 2 Huddersfield Town 2: Pressure mounts on Mark Fotheringham after crazy finale

There was only one present that the straight-dealing Yorkshireman would have been interested in before this game. Three points.

In the event, following a chaotic finish befitting of a holiday destination where rollercoasters are commonplace, his side scored two late goals to take a thoroughly unlikely point after playing the entire second period with ten men following a brainless dismissal close to the interval for Blackpool captain Gary Madine, whose history with Terriers defender Tom Lees continued.

The Seasiders' run without a league victory extended to 12 games and they remain winless on home soil in the second-tier since October 22.

Yet this felt like a win in the circumstances with a high-octane home support on their feet following stirring late levellers in the final eight minutes from Andy Lyons, his first goal for the hosts and fellow substitute Josh Bowler, who was left unchecked to blast home high past Thomas Vaclik at the death.

It was another replacement in Josh Koroma, who produced a sublime curler four minutes after Lyons' 82nd-minute drive, who should have provided the final act.

Huddersfield were tantalisingly placed to purge memories of their hugely controversial loss in the reverse fixture to Pool and their cruel late concession in their recent away game at Hull. But no.

On a night when they were minutes away from moving out of the drop zone, panicky Town blinked.

Speaking before the game, Mark Fotheringham spoke of having the support of head of football operations Leigh Bromby and managing director David Baldwin, but patience is finite.

Sections of Town's supporters made their feelings known towards him at the final whistle as the first leg of a crunch double-header in Red Rose territory at Blackpool and Wigan ended in a gut-wrenching finale.

Fotheringham elected to keep faith with the bulk of the side who started - and underwhelmed in the first half at the weekend, with one enforced change seeing the injured Michal Helik replaced by Matty Pearson with Anthony Knockaert resident on the bench.

Despite both sides’ predicament, there was no lack of backing from both sets of followers. At the interval, the voices that were heard were West Yorkshire ones.

Pearson’s priceless opener provided the main source of warmth on the Fylde coast. The inevitable red card brandished to Madine after his stupid elbow on Lees was also well received, with referee Graham Scott having little option.

The game was in Town’s hands at the break. It was a half in which the more polished football came from the visitors, with Jack Rudoni providing the culture in particular.

It was from his free-kick, which was not cleared by a hesitant looking Seasiders rearguard, that saw Pearson make hay as he dug the ball out from under his feet to score a key goal in the context of the Terriers campaign.

It was Pearson's first goal in almost 13 months and followed his strike at Bloomfield Road last season.

Blackpool’s game plan was based around hitting diagonals and winning their fair share of second balls. They had pockets of joy, but Town stayed resolute in the main and then Madine did his thing.

When this sides faced each other on Boxing Day 2021, Lees left on a stretcher after being on the receiving end of an elbow from the lumbering striker. The Town defender did not exit the fray this time around, but was decidedly groggy all the same.

Town produced a sound away-day in the first half. Rudoni was at the heart of a slick move which almost led to an opener inside the first 20 minutes. The ball broke for Martyn Waghorn, only for Chris Maxwell to make a scrambling save low down.

Moments later, Blackpool’s best first-half moment transpired and there was a let-off for Fotheringham’s side after Sonny Carey steered the ball wide after Jerry Yates’s effort was diverted into his path following Chris Hamilton’s cross.

Despite a lead and a numerical advantage, the onus was on Town to seal the deal, mindful that a McCarthy side never down tools - with motivation levels still admirable from their raucous support.

A warning saw Kenny Dougall fire just over before Knockaert was called for - with a brief to cause bother to ten-men hosts.

Substitute Jaheim Headley, on debut, went close with a rasping drive. A deflected cross from Rudoni flashed across goal.

A second goal would not come and Huddersfield had their pockets picked again when Lyons drove home.

Koroma's first goal in almost a year provided the balm. Yet there was still more incredibly, incomprehensibly.

The late sting was Blackpool’s and it remains to be seen how big a moment this proves to be in the season of Huddersfield and the tenure of Fotheringham on a night when it was about deeds and not words.

Blackpool: Maxwell; Connolly, Goode (Lyons 28), Nelson, Husband, Hamilton (Bowler 71); Carey (Rogers 45), Trybull, Dougall; Yates, Madine. Substitutes unused: Grimshaw, Patino, Poveda, Lavery.

Huddersfield Town: Vaclik; Turton (Headley 64), Lees, Pearson, Lowton; High (Diarra 64), Hogg, Kasumu; Rudoni (Koroma 79); Hungbo (Knockaert 55), Waghorn (Rhodes 79). Substitutes unused: Bilokapic, Boyle.

Referee: G Scott (Oxon).