Leicester City 0 Pool 1

The Seasiders, eager to extend a club record of ten straight wins, enjoyed a brisk start with an Ian Evatt header on target while Keigan Parker was denied a clear run on goal by Bruno N'Gotty's last-ditch tackle.

City livened up and they had penalty claims waved aside on 15 minutes when Iain Hume latched on to a Stephen Clemence throughball and tumbled inside the area after tangling with Evatt.

Then, on 20 minutes, Mark De Vries swivelled to crash a 20-yard shot against the bar.

Skipper Clemence floated in a free-kick which N'Gotty was a whisker away from reaching with his head.

Blackpool were full of menace and purpose when going forward and, on 34 minutes, a loose ball fell to Andy Morrell but his weak shot from 16 yards was gathered easily by Paul Henderson.

Leicester went close to breaking the deadlock when Paul Rachubka palmed Iain Hume's 25-yard drive over the bar before James Wesolowski headed the resultant corner from Clemence just wide of the far post.

Then, in time added on at the end of the first half, Hume again went close for City heading narrowly wide.

Soon after the restart, Wes Hoolahan almost made it a goal-scoring debut when, after weaving his way through the home rearguard, he crashed a 16-yard shot against the outside of Henderson's left-hand post.

Blackpool's controversial winner came on 63 minutes when Keith Southern drove home a Steve Crainey cross from 12 yard with the Foxes furious that their opponents had failed to put the ball out of play to allow a stricken James Chambers to be treated for a painful injury.

Thereafter Rachubka kept his side's lead intact with a string of brilliant saves beginning with a breathtaking stop to keep out a header from Hume.

On 80 minutes Rachubka was again the Seasiders' saviour when he parried a drive by Wesolowski and then recovered quickly to block Dudley Campbell's follow-up shot.

And when Rachubka failed to keep out a De Vries header, the post came to his rescue and the ball was scrambled clear.