Good evening and welcome to Sports Mole's live commentary of tonight's Championship playoff second leg between Birmingham City and Blackpool at St Andrews.
Blackpool claimed a 1-0 first-leg lead when the two clubs met last Friday, while the winner will face West Ham United in the final at Wembley on May 19.
Birmingham have lost just once at home all season, and beat Blackpool 3-0 on their own patch in the league on New Year's Eve.
History does seem to point towards Blackpool, however, with Bolton Wanderers in 1995 remaining the only club in history to lose the first leg of a playoff semi-final and gain promotion to the Premier League.
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So there we have it, Blackpool will play West Ham in the Championship playoff final on May 19 after a 3-2 aggregate win over Birmingham. Blackpool were coasting once they moved 2-0 ahead in the match, but the home side produced a spirited comeback to level the score at 2-2 on the night. However, they could not force that elusive third strike, and they now face another season of Championship football. Our full report of the match can be found here. Thanks for joining Sports Mole for the coverage.
FULL-TIME: Birmingham 2(2)- 2(3) Blackpool
90 min+4: Final minute at St Andrews this evening. Redmond finds N'Daw with a cross, but it's a poor header and it drifts over.
90 min+3: Chance for Dicko to secure the win as he meets a Phillips cross, but he heads just wide.
90 min+3: Blackpool have the ball in the Birmingham half with two minutes remaining, and it seems that the home side's chance has gone.
90min+2: It's still all Birmingham in the final moments, but the offside flag is continuing to haunt them.
90 min: We will play an additional five minutes at the end of the 90.
88 min: So nearly a chance for Birmingham as King finds Burke on the right, but the ball just drifts out of play. It seems that Davies has been sent forward as a striker for the last few minutes.
87 min: Goal kick to Birmingham with three minutes of normal time remaining. Can they do it?
86 min: Still Birmingham push for the leveller, but Blackpool have begun to pass the ball in the last few minutes.
85 min: Change for Blackpool as Phillips is replaced by Kevin Phillips.
83 min: It's poor from Mutch as he plays it straight out for a Blackpool goal kick. We have around 10 minutes remaining here this evening.
83 min: Chance for Blackpool to wrap up their spot at Wembley as Dicko meets a Phillips corner, but Mutch clears it off the line.
81 min: Another half-chance for Birmingham after good work from Redmond, but Ian Evatt produces another towering defensive header. How good has he been tonight?
80 min: The away goal rule does not count in playoff football, so Birmingham just need the one goal to force this match into extra time.
78 min: It's Davies again with a thumping header from a Mutch corner, but his effort drifts over.
77 min: Chance for Blackpool as Dicko finds Phillips in the box, but his header is cleared.
76 min: Change for Blackpool as Nouha Dicko replaces Dobbie.
75 min: Suddenly every Birmingham player wants the ball as we approach the final 15 minutes. But it's a waste from King who fires the ball straight out of play.
74 min: It's been some response from the home side, but can they force the match into another 30 minutes?
What a turnaround we have had! Birmingham move level in the match with a towering header from Davies.
73 min: GOAL! Birmingham 2-2 Blackpool (Davies)
72 min: Everything seems to be falling Birmingham's way at the moment, with the home side forcing a corner.
72 min: It's still all Birmingham in the latter stages, with Blackpool understandably retreating. It's a chance for King outside the box, but he fires over the bar.
70 min: Chance! Wonderful chance for Birmingham as Mutch slips the ball to Burke, but Gilks pushes the ball to safety. The home side go close once more with King inside the box, but Gilks again saves his team.
69 min: Chance for Blackpool as Phillips strikes from distance, but it was always rising. Change for the away side as Ince is replaced by Keith Southern.
68 min: Suddenly it's all Birmingham with Burke and King involved, but the ball just drifts behind for a goal kick.
67 min: Birmingham have been lifted with that strike, but they need more, and they are on the attack with little over 20 minutes remaining.
65 min: That goal has just given the home side a sniff, however, they still need two more to force extra time.
Birmingham have a lifeline as Burke slips the ball to Zigic, who produces a cool finish into the bottom corner.
64 min: GOAL! Birmingham 1-2 Blackpool (Zigic)
63 min: It remains end-to-end stuff as we enter the last 30 minutes of the match, with Blackpool showing no sings of retreat.
62 min: Change for Birmingham as Nathan Redmond is introduced in place of Townsend.
61 min: Really smart defending from Davies to deny Ince in an advanced position as Blackpool continue to flood forward.
60 min: Birmingham look ever so tired as we approach the last 30 minutes of the match. Surely Hughton will be considering changes.
58 min: Nice work from Phillips as he attempts to feed Ince inside the box, but it just runs out of play. The two Blackpool wingers have been so impressive this evening.
57 min: It's clumsy from Zigic who fouls Angel in the middle of the pitch, the Blues need a bit more from the towering forward.
55 min: Another Birmingham attack breaks down as King relinquishes possession. It just hasn't fallen for the home side tonight.
54 min: Chance for Zigic as the Serbian picks up the ball inside the box, but his effort is high and wide of the post.
53 min: Birmingham have lost just once at home in the league all season, but in truth, Blackpool have played them off the park so far.
52 min: Chance for Birmingham as King searches out Zigic in the box, but Gilks is on hand to clear the danger. The home side need something to fall for them here, and quick.
50 min: It's Blackpool who continue to attack early in the second period, they have been so impressive this evening.
49 min: What a time to score for the away side. Surely that's the goal that will take them to Wembley.
Blackpool move into a 2-0 lead as Dobbie finds Phillips in the box, and the winger produces a wonderful finish off the post.
48 min: GOAL! Birmingham 0-2 Blackpool (Phillips)
47 min: So as it stands, Birmingham need at least two goals in the second period to have any chance of securing a spot in the final, and they have started on top.
46 min: We are underway in the second period. Can Birmingham respond? Or will it be Blackpool marching to Wembley?
So there we have it. A Dobbie strike moments before the break has given Blackpool a 2-0 aggregate lead over Birmingham City. The opening half has been played at a quite staggering pace, with the Seasiders forcing the opening goal of the night. Birmingham need two goals to take this into extra-time, but it would take a brave man to write them off. Our report of the first 45 minutes can be found here.
HALF-TIME: Birmingham 0(0)-1(2) Blackpool
45 min: We will play two minutes at the end of the half.
Blackpool take the lead moments before the interval as Dobbie finds the bottom corner after a smart delivery from Ince. What a time to take the lead.
45 min: GOAL! Birmingham 0-1 Blackpool (Dobbie)
44 min: Change for Birmingham before the break as Jonathan Spector is replaced by Guirane N'Daw, looks to be an injury for the American.
44 min: Smart work from Matt Phillips as he evades Murphy, but his cross is cleared by Davies. One minute plus stoppage time remaining.
43 min: It's been a frustrating half for Chris Hughton as he looks on from the Birmingham dugout.
42 min: Players are slipping all over the place with the rain continuing to fall in Birmingham. You can almost see a defensive mistake coming.
40 min: Birmingham seem to have targeted Eardley in the opening half, with Andros Townsend seeing plenty of the ball. They have starved Burke of possession, however, who in my opinion is their biggest threat.
38 min: Mutch whips a dangerous cross into the box, but King was offside, and Blackpool restart the play. Still 0-0 at St Andrews with little over five minutes of the half remaining.
37 min: Free kick for Birmingham in an advanced position as Neal Eardley fells Murphy, and picks up the first yellow card of the night.
36 min: Nervy moments in the Birmingham defence with a lack of communication between Davies and Doyle, but eventually they clear the ball.
34 min: It's good pressing from the home side as they force Blackpool back into their own half. The ball falls to Ramage, but his cross is too near Gilks.
32 min: It's really good work from Stephen Dobbie as he claims possession for Blackpool, but his final ball just evaded Ince. I take it back about the match settling, it really has livened up again as Zigic tests the palms of Gilks.
31 min: It's optimistic from Taylor-Fletcher as he attempts a shot from the edge of the box, but Davies makes a smart block to clear the danger. The match has just began to settle in the past few minutes.
29 min: It's really good work from Jordan Mutch who searches out King in the box, but his header just wouldn't fall for Zigic. There's another scramble in the Blackpool box, but a free kick is awarded.
27 min: It's more possession work from Blackpool as we approach the half-hour mark in the match.
25 min: Zigic wins another header in the Blackpool half, but with the rain on the surface, it drifts away from King.
25 min: It's poor from Zigic as he moves into an offside position after good play from King. It's Blackpool who remain on the attack, however.
23 min: It's a golden chance for Blackpool as Ince finds Taylor-Fletcher in the box, but he just could not direct his header on target.
22 min: Blackpool have been really impressive on the ball in the early stages, while Birmingham haven't quite got hold of the match in midfield.
21 min: It's really good defending from Curtis Davies as he clears a dangerous Ince cross. The Blues advance straight down the other end, but Peter Ramage's cross is cleared by Ian Evatt.
20 min: Both sides have had an equal share of possession in the opening 20 minutes. It really has been a bright start, but we still remain 0-0.
18 min: It's nervy defending from Baptise as he plays the ball back to Matt Gilks, with Zigic so nearly nipping in.
17 min: Another chance for the away side as Gary Taylor-Fletcher searches out Barry Ferguson in the box, but Doyle comes and collects to restart the Birmingham attack.
17 min: It's Blackpool with possession of the ball as we approach the 20-minute mark in the match.
15 min: The rain is really coming down in Birmingham this evening, but it has not affected the quality of the football thus far.
13 min: Chance for Birmingham! The home side so nearly take the lead as Murphy finds King in the box, but his effort smashes against the crossbar. What a start we have had this evening.
12 min: We have had another look at the early penalty claim, and Blackpool should have been awarded a spot kick for that foul on Ince, no question.
11 min: It's fantastic from Burke who picks up the ball outside the area, but his curling effort is just past the post.
10 min: It's very apparent that the home side will look for Zigic at every opportunity, and the Serbian found Chris Burke inside the box, but it's good defending from Alex Baptiste to clear the danger.
8 min: The Blackpool defence have not allowed King time on the ball thus far, and are squeezing the home side's midfield every time they get the ball.
7 min: Chance for Blackpool! It might have been a penalty as Ince advanced into the area and was felled by David Murphy, but no decision was forthcoming.
5 min: Chance for Blackpool as Thomas Ince picks up the ball outside the area, but his shot is collected by Colin Doyle. Both sides are not holding back in the early stages.
4 min: Zigic has had an immediate impact in the early stages, and his header so nearly releases Marlon King, but he is ruled offside.
3 min: It's a chance for Blackpool as Stephen Crainey advances down the left, but his cross goes behind for a goal kick. Lively start this evening.
2 min: Birmingham have recalled the big Serbian Nikola Zigic to their starting side this evening, I fancy him to have a say on the night's events.
1 min: Here we go then, it is Birmingham who get us underway this evening, with a special atmosphere inside St Andrews. The home side immediately attack the Blackpool goal with a shot from Chris Burke, but it drifts behind.
19.40: The players are emerging from the tunnel. I fancy Birmingham tonight, but I've got a feeling that we will have extra time.
19.35: Tonight's referee is Chris Foy. Let's hope we are discussing the match, and not his performance come the end of the night.
19.30: We are just 15 minutes away from kickoff in tonight's crucial Championship encounter. Birmingham are so strong at home, but could Blackpool's counter-attack threat see them through to Wembley?
Matt Law
