Sheffield Wednesday recorded only their second away win in ten attempts this season and finally managed to get a clean sheet on the road-their first in fourteen away games.
The Owls have been conceding goals at an average of nearly 3 per away game so far this season and so this will come as a massive boost. After the last defeat on the road at Pride Park manager Brian Laws spoke of how the team may be struggling psychologically with the poor away form and so keeping Blackpool at bay should increase their confidence and lift the burden from the shoulders of the players.
In truth the victory was well deserved as Wednesday put in a good display and missed many chances to take the lead before eventually doing so in the 61st minute, wrapping the points up with another five minutes before full time.
As well as the clean sheet the fact that two strikers managed to return to scoring form will be a big relief. Marcus Tudgay gave the Owls the lead, having not previously scored since September 27th and Deon Burton registered his first goal of the season.
Interestingly the catalyst for the Owls goals was the introduction of Etienne Esajas. The winger replaced Jermaine Johnson, who had played well without really providing enough for the strikers to feed on and it was the Dutchman's pinpoint cross from the left that provided the first goal, he also claimed an assist for the second goal which came from a corner.
During the defeat against Coventry at Hillsborough on Saturday JJ provided a threat at times but was too often forced inside and into trouble when cutting in from the left wing.
Surely, fitness permitting, the home game against struggling Norwich on Saturday provides a great opportunity for Wednesday to start with two wingers playing in their natural positions to get at the opposition with Tudgay reverting to his more familiar strikers role.
Deon Burton has looked a shadow of his former self at times this season but produced a much improved display at Bloomfield Road and has worked well with Tudgay in the past. Francis Jeffers was rested for this game and while he has shown some good touches and decent movement in the last couple of games he has rarely threatened to score and should have to prove his worth to earn a place in the side.
A win is a win and the result is most welcome but it will mean very little if it is not backed up with another positive display against Norwich on Saturday.
Also, before anyone gets too carried away it is worth putting the result in some sort of context. No team in the Championship has lost more home games than Blackpool so far this season. The other two teams to have lost 5 matches on their own turf are Charlton, who are of course the only other team Wednesday have beaten on the road and Southampton who the Owls visit in their next away game.