United Ends Season In Style

Manchester United 4 - Blackpool 2
Scorers
Manchester United: Park (21), Anderson (62), Evatt (og 74), Owen (81)
Blackpool: Adam (40), Taylor Fletcher (57)


Team: Van der Sar, Vidic (Rooney 84), Evans, Rafael (Smalling 46), Evra, Scholes, Anderson, Fletcher, Park (Owen 63), Nani, Berbatov

We finished the season in style with a convincing win against a dogged and feisty Blackpool and with a tinge of regret, sent them back down to the Championship. Blackpool had deserved more for their enterprising style of play but were eventually found wanting at the final hurdle.

The game itself was an awesome spectacle. Blackpool came in knowing that they needed the points to have any chance of survival while in keeping with the integrity of the game, we had to field a team strong enough to compete.

It all started well and dandy for the away side but they squandered two early opportunities before Park latched on to Berbatov's true ball to lift the ball over Gilks and into the net. The celebrations were muted and almost apologetic. Blackpool was not the type of team you root against.

To their credit, they never hung their heads and came with renewed endeavour and eventually found an equalizer via a Charlie Adam freekick before the break.

The game was thrilling but what was more thrilling were the side plots that were emerging from all the current scores at that point from the other relegation candidates. At one point it seemed like 4 teams were stuck on 40 points and goal difference would be the deciders.

Blackpool got their reward early in the second when Taylor-Fletcher gave them the lead and sent their crowd into raptures. Even the Old Trafford crowd were applauding their efforts.

Unfortunately, their joy was shortlived. Anderson scored his first Premier League goal of the season to draw level for the home faithful. To compound matters, Evatt then diverted Smalling's cross into his own net. It was painful and cruel for a team that won the hearts of many during the course of the season.

As Blackpool pushed men forward to find the points for survival, Owen, coming on as a substitute, came on to punish Blackpool with a 4th to effectively seal their doom.

After the game ended, both Ferguson and Van der Sar came forth to address the crowd before the trophy celebrations. I missed most of it as I was busily scrambling to check the scores of the other games. Long story short, we lifted the trophy for the 19th time and now look forward to Neville's testimonial on Tuesday and more significantly, a battle against Barcelona in the Champions League on Saturday.