BLACKPOOL 1 (Taylor-Fletcher 21)
BARNSLEY 1 (Campbell-Ryce 45)

FORGET Chelsea. This was the Reds biggest game of the season so far as they looked for three points to lift them that bit nearer mid-table and safety. In the end both teams had to be happy with a point which was just about fair.

Reds boss Simon Davey rang the changes as he looked to get that elusive away win with Sam Togwell, Dennis Souza and Kayode Odejayi coming into the side. Diego Leon, Rob Kozluk and Daniel Nardiello missed out. Odejayi and Jamal Campbell-Ryce added width to the Reds midfield and were given license to support Jon Macken, who ploughed a lone furrow up front.

Barnsley set of flying from the first whistle on a rock hard Bloomfield Road pitch. The Reds were almost in behind Blackpool with just two minutes on the clock as Bobby Hassell clipped the ball past the Seasiders' defence for Odejayi to chase but the big Nigerian was crowded out of it by Kaspars Gorkss and the chance went begging.

At the other end Keith Southern smashed a free kick into the face of Souza a minute later after Gary Taylor-Fletcher had hit the deck on the edge of the area.

Blackpool broke well on five minutes when Stephen McPhee knocked the ball back for Andy Morrell in the area but his strike partner could only shoot straight at Souza and watch as his effort cannoned away to safety.

Brian Howard then smashed a shot into the legs of Gorkss on eight minutes after finding a yard of space on the edge of the area as the action swung to the other end of the pitch. Howard turned provider on nine minutes as his free kick gave Souza half a chance in the area but the defender could only stoop to nod the ball wide of the target.

After a woeful opening 20 minutes by both sides, Blackpool finally crafted a goal of real quality when Stephen Crainey's cross bypassed the entire Reds defence before Gary Taylor-Fletcher popped up at the back stick to head the ball powerfully past Luke Steele.

Barnsley responded and Odejayi almost caught out Paul Rachubka on 25 minutes as his cross-shot forced the Blackpool keeper into a save at his near post.

The Reds then broke through the heart of the Blackpool defence on 28 minutes as Howard and Campbell-Ryce crafted an opening for Togwell but the midfielder could not turn the ball past Rachubka from six yards under pressure from Ian Evatt.

Blackpool should have been further in front as woeful defending from Wes Hoolahan's corner allowed Taylor-Fletcher to sneak in unmarked at the back post and the Reds got lucky as the former Huddersfield frontman's shot smacked into a defender and bounced clear.

Steele was the almost embarrassed on 32 minutes as his shanked clearance fell to Crainey on the half way line and the full back was only a couple of yards away from smashing it back into an empty net from 45 yards.

Barnsley's frustrations boiled over on 35 minutes when Jon Macken smacked the ball out of play after another 50/50 decision went to the home side. Macken was shown a yellow card.

Simon Davey changed things on 37 minutes and switched to a 4-4-2 in a bid to get back into a game that was fast becoming a microcosm of the Reds recent form - just not good enough.

Bobby Hassell almost levelled things a minute later as he combined wonderfully well with Togwell to split the Blackpool midfield wide open but the former Mansfield man could not hit the target from 20 yards at the end of his fine run.

Again the referee gave a controversial decision to the home side on 40 minutes as Stephen Foster and Togwell easily won the ball back on the edge of the area only for the official to give a free kick much to the annoyance of the Barnsley supporters.

Odejayi almost grabbed a goal on 41 minutes as he rose to meet a corner and forced the keeper into a wonder stop. Unfortunately the corner was from Hoolahan and the big striker had Steele to thank for sparing his blushed.

Odejayi got his angles spot on two minutes later as he sent Campbell-Ryce clear down the left hand side. The winger cut in but saw his low shot deflect off a defender and wide of the post. The referee gave a goal kick.

Odejayi then had the ball in the back of the net on 43 minutes as he appeared to break the Blackpool offside trap to tap in Marciano Van Homoet's cross but a flag denied the striker his goal.

The leveller came in stoppage time as Odejayi did well to hold off the Blackpool defence and give Togwell a chance to cross. The ball eventually came across goal and Campbell-Ryce was on hand to plant it back into Rachubka's net.

Blackpool could have been in front again on 48 minutes as Morrell hauled Souza out of the way to allow Rachubka's kick through to McPhee. The striker brought an outstanding save from Steele and the ball rebounded out and off Togwell before cannoning off the post and away.

The referee again let Blackpool away with it on 49 minutes as Taylor-Fletcher, aggrieved that a decision had gone against him, threw the ball away in anger. The official decided it was not even worth a talking to even though he had cautioned Macken for the same thing in the first half.

Steele was called into action on 53 minutes as he comfortably dealt with McPhee's volley before Hoolahan smashed a shot high over seconds later after winning a free kick on the edge of the area by running into Foster. At the other end Odejayi used his strength to beat two markers on 56 minutes before crashing his shot against a defender although the referee gave a free kick before the big striker could get his effort away.

Crainey again got a decent ball into the area on 57 minutes and his cross eventually fell nicely for McPhee but the striker could only put his volley high over from six yards out. Hoolahan was next to pick a hole in the Reds defence seconds later as his through ball put Morrell clean in on Steele but the striker dragged his shot well wide of the far post.

Barnsley were under the cosh but could have stolen the lead on 62 minutes as Howard's corner dropped through to Souza at the back post but the Brazilian defender missed his free header and a golden chance went begging.

Blackpool midfielder Claus Jorgensen got away without a warning on 65 minutes when he lashed out at Howard right in front of the referee after being closed down by the Reds skipper.

The game descended into a scrap, which the Reds, for the most part, appeared to want more than Blackpool although Taylor-Fletcher fired a shot over the bar on 71 minutes as Pool threatened the goal from distance.

Barnsley went close on 79 minutes after Taylor-Fletcher had been caught out by Macken on the edge of the area. Howard's original free kick was blocked but the midfielder recovered enough to send the ball back in but Souza could not get his effort on target from eight yards.

Southern brought a save from Steele on 85 minutes with a low shot before Howard did the same at the other end a minute later with a volley from 25 yards as the play swung back and forth. Evatt could have won it on 87 minutes as he got a run on the Reds defence to meet Hoolahan's corner but planted his header well over the bar.

BLACKPOOL: Rachubka, Crainey, Southern, Evatt, McPhee, Morrell (Burgess 75), Hoolahan, Taylor-Fletcher (Welsh 84), Jorgensen (Flynn 75), Gorkss, Barker.
Subs: Coid, Fox.

BARNSLEY: Steele, Foster, Souza, Nyatanga, Van Homoet (Devaney 78), Campbell-Ryce, Togwell, Hassell, Howard, Odejayi, Macken (Coulson 88).
Subs: Leon, Nardiello, Ferenczi.