The Good #3
Bolton Wanderers…3 Blackpool…0
1st September 1992
It had been a reasonable start to what was to turn in to a fabulous season. Blackpool at home was next and a close fought derby was expected. Instead we dished out a hammering and gave a glimpse of the Bruce Rioch classiness that was to result in promotion.
Bolton had won two and lost one of their first three fixtures but these were the very early days of the new Rioch regime – no new outfield signings had been made (Keith Branagan joined in the Summer) and enthusiasm in the town was fairly muted. A gate of just over 7,000 reflected that general passivity for this Tuesday night Lancashire derby.
Blackpool had been promoted from the fourth tier the previous year and were expected to provide their usual tough-to-beat “clogging” opposition. For some reason I was late out of work and remember rushing down the Manny Road feeling that it didn’t feel much like a derby day. It was one of those evenings when a pie and a pint bolted down outside Burnden became the evening meal and then straight through the turnstile for kick-off. A recipe for indigestion and heartburn.
The game took a while to warm up but soon Bolton were on the front foot and the style of play was not what we were used to under Phil Neal. While the old manager’s style of play could hardly be described as long ball it was often pragmatic with a policy of getting the ball wide and getting crosses in. What we started to witness in that first 20 mins was weaving patterns of passes and clever, carpet football with Tony Kelly at the centre of it all and Andy Walker looking sharp.
“It was pretty breathtaking stuff for third tier football and the Burnden Paddock crowed and gloated towards the Blackpool fans.”
It was Tony Philliskirk who scored the first – what turned out to be his penultimate goal for the club. It followed a good move to which Blackpool had no answer. Soon after the second followed – a series of crisp, short, first-time passes involving Tony Kelly, Scott Green and Andy Walker undid the visitors leading to the latter bagging one of his many goals that glorious season. It was pretty breathtaking stuff for third tier football and the Burnden Paddock crowed and gloated towards the Blackpool fans as well just enjoying really cultured football.
That was it for the scoring for a while but Bolton remained manifestly superior to Blackpool and their fans were suffering and clearly quite cranky. It came as little surprise when the third arrived midway through the second half. Blackpool were robbed of possession while on the attack and Julian Darby motored up field. Eventually the ball found its way to Scott Green about 20 yards out. He let rip with a blockbuster and it was 3-0. That was the cue for the visiting fans to head for the exits and the Paddock to wave them on their way.
For the dyed in the wool fan a cracking derby win is the stuff that sustains you and this was a night for the core support. Sadly it was sustenance that was badly needed when we then drew one and lost five of our next six games. The Blackpool match appeared to be a flash-in-the pan. Rioch’s response was to do some on the hoof restructuring. Out went Philliskirk and David Reeves and in came John McGinlay and David Lee - you know the rest.
By the time Bolton played the reverse fixture at Bloomfield Road in the New Year some fabulous football had been witnessed and the promotion charge was well and truly on. Dismembering Blackpool in early September was almost the dress rehearsal. Walking over Orlando footbridge after the match I encountered three fellow Wanderers fans I’d not seen for ages - the chatter was of a promising future. A month later that conversation looked foolish, six months later it was fulfilled.