Sport

Hat-trick hero DJ puts Forest in a spin

CHAMPIONSHIP PLAY-OFF SEMI-FINAL/Nottingham Forest 3 Blackpool 4 (agg 4-6): BLACKPOOL CAN dare to dream

STUART JAMES at the City Ground
Wed May 12 2010 - 01:00

CHAMPIONSHIP PLAY-OFF SEMI-FINAL/Nottingham Forest 3 Blackpool 4 (agg 4-6):BLACKPOOL CAN dare to dream. After spending 40 years outside the top flight, including a spell in the Football League's lowest division within the last decade, Ian Holloway's side are only 90 minutes away from the Premier League.

A brilliantly executed second-half hat-trick from DJ Campbell, who is on loan from Leicester City, swept Nottingham Forest aside to earn Blackpool a trip to Wembley on Saturday week.

Stephen Dobbie also more than played his part, the substitute coming off the bench to score Blackpool’s second before setting up two of Campbell’s goals. Forest, for whom Robert Earnshaw scored twice, were simply unable to stem the tangerine tide after the interval.

Forest could not have wished for a better start. Only six minutes had passed when Earnshaw pounced to level the aggregate score and soothe the nerves.

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But Blackpool hauled themselves level on the night. Adam’s pass found Campbell and the forward showed great composure to dink the ball over goalkeeper Lee Camp and into the far corner of the net.

Earnshaw briefly revived Forest’s hopes when he swept in from close range but then came the late Blackpool onslaught. Dobbie grabbed their second, drilling beyond Camp with the help of a deflection to peg Forest back before the substitute set up Blackpool’s third which Campbell calmly stroked home. With the home side still reeling from that setback Campbell completed his hat-trick in front of the delirious travelling supporters, turning in the loose ball after Camp saved from Dobbie. Dele Adebola added a late consolation in added time.

NOTTINGHAM FOREST: Camp, Perch (McGoldrick 82), Morgan, Wilson, Gunter, Majewski, McKenna (Anderson 78), Cohen, Tyson, Blackstock (Adebola 78), Earnshaw. Subs not used: Smith, Chambers, McGugan, Boyd. Booked: Perch.

BLACKPOOL: Gilks, Coleman, Evatt, Baptiste, Crainey, Taylor-Fletcher (Burgess 77), Southern, Adam (Edwards 90), Vaughan, Campbell, Ormerod (Dobbie 69). Subs not used: Rachubka, Clarke, Euell, Bannan. Booked: Ormerod.

Referee: Mark Clattenburg (Tyne Wear).