Dan Black's verdict: Seaside goals have dried up — but Lancashire derbies in Blackpool have often been pivotal to Premier League promotions

Gone are the days when the goals used to flow so freely in the Lancashire derby at Bloomfield Road.
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A succession of games in the '90s across Division Four, the Autoglass Trophy and the old Division Two brought goals galore.

Nine consecutive fixtures across the three competitions at the home of Blackpool ended with a minimum of three goals while the two red rose rivals found the net in each and every one of them.

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They shared 36 goals between them in that sequence, Burnley won two-thirds of those meetings, the Seasiders claimed the remainder, but there was no middle ground.

Blackpool's Kenny Dougall battles with Burnley's Josh Cullen

The EFL Sky Bet Championship - Blackpool v Burnley - Saturday 4th March 2023 - Bloomfield Road - BlackpoolBlackpool's Kenny Dougall battles with Burnley's Josh Cullen

The EFL Sky Bet Championship - Blackpool v Burnley - Saturday 4th March 2023 - Bloomfield Road - Blackpool
Blackpool's Kenny Dougall battles with Burnley's Josh Cullen The EFL Sky Bet Championship - Blackpool v Burnley - Saturday 4th March 2023 - Bloomfield Road - Blackpool

Times have changed in this coastal resort. Despite the wild nights, seafront sights, man-made northern lights, donkey rides, roller-coasters, the tower, trams, chippies and arcades that the town is renowned for, the football hasn't been quite as lively.

Four of the last five head-to-heads at FY1 have finished with a goal or less, though half of those concluded in 1-0 victories that would play a big part in the Clarets' climb to the Premier League.

It was 14 years ago when Christian Kalvenes scored the only goal of the game to keep the club's hopes of a play-off place on track before Michael Kightly replicated that feat on Good Friday 2014 to push Sean Dyche's side closer to a top flight return.

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The latest low-scoring affair was perhaps as underwhelming as the prize you'd receive for collecting hundreds of tickets having spent a fortune in time and money on the 2p machines, but there is no doubt that it was another step on the path to glory.

Blackpool's Chris Maxwell looks to clear under pressure from Burnley's Nathan Tella

The EFL Sky Bet Championship - Blackpool v Burnley - Saturday 4th March 2023 - Bloomfield Road - BlackpoolBlackpool's Chris Maxwell looks to clear under pressure from Burnley's Nathan Tella

The EFL Sky Bet Championship - Blackpool v Burnley - Saturday 4th March 2023 - Bloomfield Road - Blackpool
Blackpool's Chris Maxwell looks to clear under pressure from Burnley's Nathan Tella The EFL Sky Bet Championship - Blackpool v Burnley - Saturday 4th March 2023 - Bloomfield Road - Blackpool

You might need to excavate the site of the stalemate to find the real treasures, but buried beneath the result and performance were details that provided far more encouragement.

A 15th Championship game unbeaten, which followed Sheffield United's defeat against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park, ushered the league leaders 13 points clear in the title race, while the clean sheet was their 15th to date, the second best return in the division behind Coventry City (17).

And while shutting out the opposition normally guarantees victory for Vincent Kompany's table toppers, I think we can excuse his usually free-scoring stars for failing to fire having done so in a record-breaking 31 games on the bounce.

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Sometimes, even when you've dominated possession (78%), had 10 shots on goal, and limited the hosts to zero shots on target, you just have to accept that it wasn't your day.

Blackpool's Jerry Yates battles for possession with Burnley's Hjalmar Ekdal

The EFL Sky Bet Championship - Blackpool v Burnley - Saturday 4th March 2023 - Bloomfield Road - BlackpoolBlackpool's Jerry Yates battles for possession with Burnley's Hjalmar Ekdal

The EFL Sky Bet Championship - Blackpool v Burnley - Saturday 4th March 2023 - Bloomfield Road - Blackpool
Blackpool's Jerry Yates battles for possession with Burnley's Hjalmar Ekdal The EFL Sky Bet Championship - Blackpool v Burnley - Saturday 4th March 2023 - Bloomfield Road - Blackpool

Kompany said: "Sometimes you get this. I think the main thing for me, I can't criticise the team, especially with the attacking output we've had this season. At our best I think we're a little bit more alive when those balls come into the box.

"There's a couple that get fizzed across and you want to see us get a toe on it, or dive on it, or something. Today, in general, you're playing against a team that's fighting for something, so we shouldn't be surprised that those games are difficult. It is supposed to be this way."

The Tangerines, just like coastal neighbours Fleetwood Town, seemed content to sit in a low block, with two solid banks of four, which limited their visitors to very little in the first half.

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Jerry Yates wasn't far off the mark with a right-footed effort from outside the box after Vitinho had clumsily relinquished control on the edge of Blackpool's penalty area.

Johann Berg Gudmundsson was responsible for the away side's best effort of the half, after Scott Twine had carried the ball forward, and Ashley Barnes had assisted, but Chris Maxwell made a fine save at full stretch.

The Clarets had been forced into a change of shape once Josh Brownhill had been replaced, following an innocuous fall on the touchline which seemed to cause some concern, but they continued to suffer the same frustrations.

Gudmundsson's cross was cleared off the line, Twine's set-piece was flicked over by Maxwell, and the goalkeeper capped a point-winning display with a strong right-handed stop to keep out Nathan Tella's drive.

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Kompany said: "They held on to their game-plan and, in the end, it was actually quite successful for them, but I would've signed up for the frame of this game where we had enough of the ball, we had enough chances, conceded very few of them, aside from the last five minutes where you get a little bit of excitement, but that happens when you don't take your chances. I would've signed up for the script.

"It's definitely a point gained. There'll be more teams losing points here. It's been a tough ground, they haven't lost in six or seven, and they're fighting for their lives. That's what you saw today."

Another game down and another point clear. There's no doubting that we'd have taken that scenario ahead of the weekend. Blackpool might be 21 places behind, and 45 points adrift, but they're fighting for their lives with League One looming.