A brilliant second-half fightback saw Wanderers answer everything thrown at them to record a thrilling victory thanks to Aaron Collins’ injury-time winner, writes Pete Oliver.
Trailing at the break to a Kyle Joseph goal, the Whites must have been feeling it as they tried to bounce back from their heavy beating at Stockport a fortnight ago to overcome a local rival and show they have what it takes to deal with the pressure.
And the response from Ian Evatt’s men couldn’t have been better as they came through a huge test of character to collect a seventh win in 10 games and deliver a 100th league win as Bolton boss for the manager.
Captain George Thomason led from the front and turned the contest Wanderers’ way with a stunning equaliser in an inspired spell just after the break.
And even though they then left it late, Wanderers got the second goal they deserved for an uplifting performance in the second half which lifted the clouds and the team back towards the top six.
Wanderers had both their captain and vice-captain back as Thomason returned from a seven-game absence and Gethin Jones started his first league game of the season.
Collins – who scored both goals in the win that took the Whites into the last-32 of the Vertu Trophy during the international break – also earned a re-call as Evatt’s men looked to make amends for their Stockport no-show.
Blackpool also needed a pick-me-up after seven league games without a win had seen them slip down the table and in wet and windy conditions it was understandably safety-first in the opening exchanges.
Wanderers had more of what little threat there was as Josh Sheehan – fresh from signing a new contract and an outstanding tour of duty with Wales – clipped a free-kick inches wide and the lively Dion Charles couldn’t direct a header goalwards from Thomson’s dangerous ball in.
But on an afternoon when it felt the first goal might be crucial, Blackpool struck out of the blue with just over half an hour gone.
Charles thought he had been fouled just inside the Wanderers’ half, but with nothing given Elliot Embleton collected the ball and delivered a teasing cross which top scorer Joseph reached ahead of Nathan Baxter to glance just inside the far post.
That rallied the Seasiders and moments later they went close to a second when Rob Apter picked out Jordan Gabriel for a near-post effort critically saved by Baxter.
Wanderers needed a reaction and just before the break Sheehan had another sight of goal from a central set-piece, but this time his effort went into the Blackpool wall to leave the Whites facing an enormous 45 minutes to try and restore some momentum.
Following a tweak in formation, a more advanced Thomason tried to provide it within seconds of the re-start with a shot Richard O’Donnell grabbed at the second attempt.
And just when Wanderers needed their captain most, he duly stepped up with another strike that O’Donnell never got near to drag Wanderers level 10 minutes into the second half.
Receiving the ball just outside the penalty area, Thomason shifted the ball onto his right foot and thundered an effort into the roof of the net to mirror the winner he struck into the same goal in the corresponding fixture 12 months ago.
Thomason’s second goal in three league games changed the mood inside the stadium as the fans also responded to Wanderers’ resurgence and the place nearly exploded again when an inspired Thomason curled a cross to the far post where Collins was denied by a combination of O’Donnell and the crossbar.
Charles then found Collins for a low strike saved by O’Donnell as the Whites tried to ride the wave and get themselves ahead – having to do so for the last 20 minutes without Thomason who had run himself into the ground for the cause.
Blackpool managed to stem the flow for a spell and had moments of their own on the counter-attack but Wanderers kept going for a winner and with five minutes to go thought they’d got it.
Charles met a knock-down just inside the box with the perfect connection to send a superb volley into the bottom corner but the Whites’ celebrations were cut short when Victor Adeboyejo was ruled to have been off-side and standing in the keeper’s view.
It was a big call on a big day that still had time to get even bigger as four minutes into six minutes of stoppage time Collins then grabbed the dramatic winner.
Not for the first time Wanderers broke away and when Jay Matete freed Szabi Schön, the wing-back kept his cool to find Collins in the box for the frontman to do the rest with a typical finish, finding space and rifling a left-footed shot low into the far corner to give his side a huge – and potentially pivotal – three points.
Wanderers: Baxter; Jones, Almeida Santos, Johnston; Dacres-Cogley (Osei-Tutu 82), Sheehan, Thomason (Matete 68), Schön; McAtee (Adeboyejo 74); Charles, Collins. Substitutes: Forrester, Lolos, Williams, Arfield.
Booked: Thomason, Sheehan, Schön, Johnston
Blackpool: O’Donnell; Offiah, Casey, Husband; Evans; Gabriel, Embleton (Ballard 68), Norburn (Finnigan 81), Coulson (Ashworth 76); Apter (Bondo 81), Joseph. Substitutes: Tyrer (GK), Pennington, Rhodes.
Booked: Joseph, Norburn, Ashworth, Evans, Ballard
Referee: Edward Duckworth
Attendance: 22,479