CAPTAIN courageous Dave Linighan rose above the Coventry defence to head in a 76th minute winner to give Blackpool a first leg advantage over the Premiership side.

And Pool's skipper, who defied a persistent and painful ankle injury to play, is looking forward to the return leg in two weeks' time.

Linighan said: "It's going to be a hard game for us but we've got nothing to lose. We're determined to get something down there and I think we will."

The victory was no less than the Seasiders deserved as they battled in atrocious conditions against a Coventry side without big names Dion Dublin and Darren Huckerby who were rested by manager Gordon Strachan.

As early as the seventh minute Andy Preece was through on goal after defender Paul Williams slipped on the wet surface. But Preece dragged the ball wide when he only had Steve Ogrizovich to beat.

Five minutes later Micky Mellon fired a 30-yard shot which skidded along the grass and narrowly missed Ogrizovich's right-hand post.

City's best chance of the early period came on 15 minutes when Gary McAllister threaded an exquisite through ball to Kyle Lightbourne, but the ex-Walsall striker was met by Steve Banks who snuffed out his shot.

James Quinn tried a long range chip on 24 minutes which only just dipped over the Coventry bar.

Six minutes from the break McAllister tried a long range shot which deflected off Micky Mellon and trickled wide.

In the early period of the second half John Salako and Martin Johansen began linking up well on the left to cause Pool some problems but their only real chance fell to McAllister on 71 minutes.

Darren Bradshaw's back pass stuck in the increasingly wet grass and McAllister found himself in a great position to break the deadlock but the veteran skipper could only hit the post as he tried to side foot past Banks.

Five minutes later Pool won a free kick 35 yards out and Mellon floated a superb ball to the far post where Linighan had made an excellent run. Ogrizovich, in the Coventry goal, was no match for the Blackpool skipper's powerful header.

The second leg is on October 1, kick off 7.45pm, and in the meantime Blackpool entertain Oldham Athletic at Bloomfield Road on Saturday.

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