26 March 1948 Blackpool 2 Derby County 2

Thrilling end to drawn game

MORTENSEN DASH SAVED EASTER POINT

Blackpool 2, Derby County 2

By “Spectator”

WITH 30,000 spectators crammed into Bloomfield-road yesterday afternoon, all gates were closed 15 minutes before the kick-off of Blackpool’s attractive Good Friday match against Derby County, writes “Pilot.”

McIntosh had an injured ankle, and Mortensen went centre-forward, Munro being reintroduced at inside-right,

Both teams produced some excellent midfield play, Blackpool bamboozling the County defence with first-time methods.

But it was Derby’s captain. Carter, who made the game’s first incident, Robinson diving full length to punch clear his 20 yards’ drive.

Mortensen had a header cleared off the goal line by a defender, another held by Wallace, the former Blackpool goalkeeper, and seconds later shot inches wide of the upright.

Blackpool, outplaying all opposition, deservedly went ahead after 28 minutes. MORTENSEN ballooned the ball in the air, raced forward, and as it came down headed it off Wallace s knee into the net.

Ill-fortune then overtook Blackpool. Shimwell, up to then the game’s best defender, limped on to the wing after 38" minutes. Immediately STAMPS equalised with an acute shot following a defensive blunder.

The County were now applying full pressure, and Harrison blazed the ball over the bar when in an excellent position,' and Carter had a difficult shot saved by Robinson.

Half-time: Blackpool 1, Derby County I.

Second Half

Shimwell resumed at right- back when the second half began.

Derby, still on the initiative, made it 2-1 after 53 minutes. Stamps centred a low pass, and while Blackpool defence hesitated, thinking the ball was out of play, in raced HARRISON to slam it wide of Robinson into the net.

By this time a lot of sting had gone out of the Blackpool forwards.

Blackpool, fighting back grimly, penned the County in their own half for a long spell.

After several goalmouth scrambles Wallace made a superb save at the feet of Mortensen, after a clever Matthews-Munro move.

Five minutes to go, and MORTENSEN equalised with a typical opportunist’s goal. He outpaced two backs and Wallace fell late to a low curling shot. And how the crowd roared !

Result:

BLACKPOOL 2 (Mortensen 28, 85 mins)

DERBY COUNTY 2 (Stamps 38 mins, Harrison 53)

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Blackpool 2, Derby County 2

WHEN Mortensen scored that famous equaliser in the Villa Park semi-final a fortnight ago people said “It'll be a long time before we'll see that happen again."

They were wrong. Stanley did it again yesterday and snatched a cheeky point.

A capacity 30,000 crowd saw a duel in the sun with blank cartridges. Several clever movements misfired in the penalty area. Blackpool dillydallied while Derby blazed wide.

Turning point for Blackpool was Shimwell’s injury late in the first half. It was tough luck on the full-back, whose hard tackling had blockaded the Steel-Morrison wing and turned defence into attack.

Immediately he hobbled on to the wing Stamps, with an oblique shot, equalised, Mortensen having scored with a header from a high-altitude pass.

The Blackpool rear-guard had hesitated. It hesitated again in the second half, and in raced Harrison to put Derby ahead.

30-YARDS SPRINT

It looked the County's day until Mortensen, five minutes from time, sprinted 30 yards and shot a low ball that spun out of Wallace’s hands and over the line.

Again Carter proved what a master general he is. Steel, after a shaky start, rallied to give a tireless display. A bit robust at times, Musson and Ward did well against the Blackpool wings.

Matthews, for periods, was strangely subdued. Who wouldn’t be with three men constantly patrolling him?

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