sport

McPhee grabs two to sink Canaries

McPhee: First-half double

The injury-plagued striker - who opened his account for the club during last weekend's 5-3 hammering of Charlton - put the Seasiders ahead in the 15th minute with a fine header.

And he claimed a brilliant second six minutes before the break after collecting a clever pass from Wes Hoolahan.

The Canaries improved in the second half and pulled a goal back through Jamie Cureton's 65th-minute penalty.

But they could not fashion an equaliser and Blackpool held on to condemn Glenn Roeder's men to their first home defeat since November.

The Seasiders wasted little time in going for the jugular at Carrow Road and they came desperately close to scoring moments before McPhee's opener.

In the 14th minute, Andy Morrell - recalled to the side after on-loan Manchester City striker Paul Dickov was ruled out through injury - found the space to crack a close-range shot goalwards.

Canaries goalkeeper David Marshall parried well and the danger was cleared.

However, less than a minute later McPhee made no mistake when Gary Taylor-Fletcher - who scored twice against Charlton last week - delivered a dangerous cross from the right flank.

McPhee rose highest to plant a firm header past Marshall and they almost claimed a second soon after when Morrell had another close-range shot saved by Marshall.

McPhee then signalled his menace shortly before the half-hour mark with a drilled effort which flashed narrowly wide of Marshall's far post.

Norwich were awful during the first half and struggled to create a clear goalscoring opportunity.

Their best chance came 10 minutes before the break and was spurned as Dion Dublin headed a Darren Huckerby free-kick wide.

Four minutes later, Blackpool stormed 2-0 ahead when Hoolahan played a delightful through-ball into McPhee's path and he finished with aplomb with a low right-foot shot into the bottom corner.

Norwich's misery was compounded a minute before half-time when Mark Fotheringham was forced off through injury and replaced by Matthew Pattison.

Blackpool had further chances to extend their lead shortly after the break.

In the 47th minute, midfielder Claus Jorgensen hit a fierce right-foot volley which Marshall saved comfortably.

However, the Canaries began to improve slowly and the pendulum swung in their favour as the half wore on.

Pattison volleyed over from distance and then former Liverpool trainee Jon Otsemobor headed a corner from Huckerby wide.

Yet Blackpool remained a threat on the counter-attack and only an excellent parried save from Marshall denied McPhee a hat-trick in the 52nd minute.

Norwich were handed a lifeline in the 65th minute when Pattison was fouled by Shaun Barker and Cureton fired home right-footed.

With 16 minutes remaining, Canaries forward Ched Evans drilled in a right-footed shot which forced Blackpool goalkeeper Paul Rachubka into a vital save to preserve his side's advantage.