BACUP started positively and were soon taking the game to Blackpool.

They won a succession of corners early on but Bacup failed to take advantage.

Stuart Telfer was causing the visitors all sorts of problems and he opened up the Blackpool defence late in the first half.

Duncan Edwards played the ball in to space at the near post from a free kick but no Bacup players gambled and took the chance.

It was left to young Martin Peters to hold the ball up and he laid it off to Telfer who put a quality ball in. No one was on the end of it, though, leaving a stalemate at the break.

Early on in the second half it was Bacup who took the initiative putting Blackpool under pressure.

Striker David Gray forced a save from the keeper and from the resulting corner shot over.

On 50 minutes Bacup made a change pushing Fildes forward and Karl Stanley replaced Peters.

And within minutes Bacup had the lead. Micky Bartholomew held the ball up, played the ball to Telfer and he fired in a low cross which Gray put away from close range.

On 55 minutes it could have been two but Telfer's shot was well-saved by the Blackpool keeper.

The game erupted 20 minutes from time when a challenge from Steve Stott on a Blackpool player caused the Blackpool player to kick out in anger and he was shown the red card. Unfortunately for Stott, the initial challenge earned him a yellow, his second of the game, and he was also dismissed.

Ironically, Blackpool started to have their best spell of the game but without bringing a save from Tommy Allen.

Late on, though, Allen was tested and he had to be alert to scramble across the line to tip the ball away.

Peters said: "For 70 minutes we were in control and with some of the quality balls going across the box it was amazing the scores were level - players have got to take a gamble in the box."

Bacup play Castleton Gabriels at Accrington Stanley's Crown Ground on Sunday (kick off 2pm).

BACUP BOROUGH...1

BLACKPOOL MECHANICS...0