Blackpool go down fighting as Akos inspires Rangers

When Martin Rowlands made it 3-0 on 47 minutes, it looked as if Blackpool were finished.

But this is QPR, a team who have already conceded an astonishing 12 leads already this season and by the end it could easily have been a 13th.

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Under Italian manager Luigi de Canio, they have at least climbed from the relegation area to 12th place and they are now eight points off the play-off posse with eight games to go.

Rangers' position is still serious enough for co- owners Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore, two of the top men in motor racing, to put off their trip to Australia for the first F1 Grand Prix of the season until they had seen Rangers squeak home.

De Canio put it quite well when he said: "I'm just happy that the game is over. But I am quite upset because what could have been a triumph turned into a suffered win.

"Right now I am not looking at the play-offs, but I just want us to be solid for the remaining games."

On a blustery night in west London, Rangers' midfield maestro Akos Buzsaky produced a delightful opener in front of Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp, who was on a scouting mission.

The volley was either brilliant or a complete fluke as he converted Patrick Agyemang's centre from the left on 11 minutes.

It was Buzsaky's ninth goal of the season and he insisted: "Yes, I meant it - didn't it look like it?"

Blackpool hit back with some bright play, but looked out of it on 40 minutes when Rowan Vine, a former Redknapp player at Pompey, cut in from the left and placed the ball into the far right corner of the net.

When Vine again sliced open Blackpool on 47 minutes, Rangers were as good as celebrating three points. This time Vine's effort was blocked, but Agyemang was on hand to slip the ball to Martin Rowlands, who slid home the easiest goal he will ever score.

But Blackpool boss Simon Grayson rang the changes and was rewarded on the hour when substitute Ben Burgess, seven minutes after coming on, surged in from the left and fired the ball into the far corner of the net.

Rangers were really wobbling when, on 72 minutes, Blackpool had cut the lead to 3-2.

David Fox's corner from the left was met by the head of raiding defender Kaspars Gorkss, and Stephen McPhee climbed to nod the ball into the roof of the net.

Rangers were fortunate that Blackpool then seemed to abandon their passing game and went for a long ball challenge.

But manager Grayson said: "I was proud of the way my team came back and proved yet again that we can live in this division.

"I don't know whether the Buzsaky goal was a fluke, but he certainly is the kind of player who can produce a special goal. We might even have got something if we'd stuck to our passing game."