Toon gloom: Charlie Adam makes no mistake from 12 yards to give Blackpool the lead at St James' ParkJubilant Ian Holloway hailed his Blackpool side’s performance as the best of his reign after they shocked Newcastle.
Goals from Charlie Adam and DJ Campbell sent the team everyone tipped for relegation at the start of the season into the Premier League’s top four as their scorching early season form continued.
Holloway said: ‘This team just keep surpassing everything they’ve previously done. It is difficult to single anyone out because I think that is just about as complete a performance from a team as you can get.
‘We are going to need that in this division because, no matter how well we’ve started, there are going to be tough times and we have to stick together.
‘But the lads are doing so well. I never thought we’d equal or surpass what we achieved in winning promotion to the Premier League at Wembley but this has run it close. The result is probably the best since I took over.’
Adam scored from the penalty spot just before the break after Newcastle skipper Alan Smith felled Luke Varney.
It was little more than the visitors to St James’ Park deserved after an even first half, although Newcastle defender Mike Williamson had earlier hit the post with a header and Blackpool keeper Matt Gilks had won a one-on-one showdown against Kevin Nolan.
For Parky: Charlie Adam sends a message to stricken youth team coachCampbell, making his debut after a £1.25million transfer deadline day move from Leicester, added a welltaken second late on with the home team piling forward in search of an equaliser.
It was Newcastle’s first defeat in 26 home games and left manager Chris Hughton cursing his team’s inability to put the ball past in-form Gilks.
The Blackpool keeper, who earned his first call-up to the Scotland squad last week, was inspired, having denied Joey Barton, Peter Lovenkrands and Andy Carroll as Newcastle piled on the pressure in the second half.
Holloway said: ‘A save he made at the end with his feet was world class. I turned to their bench and you could see them with their heads in their hands. They knew the game was up then.’
Toon tormant: Matthew Gilks saves from Newcastle's Joey BartonIt was the first time Newcastle had lost at home in more than a season. Hughton said: ‘It was my first home defeat as manager and it wasn’t a very nice feeling.
It was a game we came into wanting to get three points, as we do every game at St James’ Park. ‘But I think you’ve got to give Blackpool credit, particularly their goalkeeper, who was inspired.
‘We didn’t produce our best performance but we still had eight clear-cut chances and it is disappointing that we didn’t manage to take any of them.’
Blackpool dedicated the win to 42-year-old youth team coach Gary Parkinson, who is in critical condition in hospital after suffering a stroke.
Adam and Campbell displayed their own messages of support for Parkinson after scoring, and Holloway said: ‘It speaks volumes about this group of players that they wanted to pay tribute to him.
‘Having to tell the players the day before the match what had happened to Gary was one of my most difficult moments I have had as a manager. ‘Part of me didn’t want the game to go ahead but we showed what we are made of — and all our love now goes out to Gary and his family.’
source :dailymail
