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Holloway still joking but Kean is not laughing

Blackburn 2 Blackpool

Jon Culley
Monday 21 March 2011 01:00 GMT
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"I hope it's the Ws and not the Bs going down," Ian Holloway said, playing for laughs as ever. Yet, with so many Premiership relegation candidates, picking three to go down by coincidence of initial may be as sound a tipping method as any.

If not three from West Ham, West Brom, Wolves and Wigan, how about Birmingham, Blackburn and Blackpool? Eight matches left (nine for Birmingham) and three points cover them all, with Aston Villa the only alphabetical interlopers.

Were Blackpool to go down, the consequences for their manager would be less severe, you suspect, than for Steve Kean. Blackburn's Indian owners have pledged continuing support for Sam Allardyce's former No 3 but he might have faced a tricky phone call to Hyderabad had Junior Hoilett not popped up in the third minute of stoppage time to spare him a fifth defeat in six matches. The point that maintained daylight between Rovers and the bottom three was entirely deserved after a characterful comeback from two goals down.

Scorers: Blackburn Samba 49, Hoilett 90 Blackpool Adam 25 pen, 29. Subs: B'burn P Jones 7 (Emerton, 59), Roberts 6 (Nzonzi, 72), Pedersen 5 (Diouf, 79). B'pool Phillips 6 (Grandin, 66), Reid 5 (Varney, 81), Southern 6 (Adam, 88). Booked: B'burn Emerton B'pool Taylor-Fletcher. Man of match Hoilett Rating 7 Poss Blackburn 58% Blackpool 42%. Attempts on target Blackburn 8 Blackpool 6. Ref H Webb (South Yorkshire) Att 27,209

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