PNE 1 Blackpool 0
Tom Clarke was the hero of Deepdale with a late header to give North End a famous 1-0 win over their fiercest rivals.
The atmosphere was deafening as the game got under way and North End almost cranked it up even more in the opening minutes as they were awarded a free kick 30 yards out after Hume had been upended by Gary MacKenzie. Lee Holmes stepped up and curled it towards the top left hand corner from a right hand channel, but Matt Gilks claimed.
The first half was full of blood and thunder, but without too much quality, Tom Ince Blackpool’s spark, having a couple shots, but not testing Declan Rudd from long range, much to the delight of the Town End crowd behind the end he was shooting at.
Iain Hume kept Gilks honest with a powerful snap shot from 30 yards with just a few minutes left in the half, but his effort hit the stanchion behind the left hand upright.
The visitors started the second half brightly with Declan Rudd having to save from Ince and MacKenzie after a good spell of possession by the Fylde coast side.
Almost an own goal from Kirk Broadfoot with a diving header brough the home fans back to the boil quickly and from the corner Tom Clarke headed John Welsh' cross just over the cross bar with the hour mark approaching.
On 64 minutes Iain Hume hit a stunning left footed half volley that Matt Gilks tipped round the post for a corner as North End cranked up their own spell of pressure.
Next up Chopra did very well to get on the end of Broadfoot's right wing cross, but his downward header was into the floor and agonisingly up and over the bar with 19 minutes left.
Lee Holmes forced Gilks to go low to his left with a low effort from 25 yards in the final five minutes, the keeper scrambling to grab the ball at the second attempt.
And then the moment... two and a half minutes to go; North End were awarded a free kick 45 yards out and the ball was left for Lee Holmes to float a ball to the back post where Tom Clarke rose highest and powered a header past Gilks sending three sides of the stadium into raptures.
You couldn't hear yourself think inside the stadium, which was visibly bouncing; on three sides at least in the three minutes of injury time, but North End held on for a famous win
: Rudd, Clarke, Buchanan, Keane, Huntington, Wright, Holmes, Welsh, Hume (Humphrey, 80), Garner (King, 68), Hayhurst (K Davies, 90). Subs not used: Stuckmann, Laird, Wroe, Mousinho, King.PNE line-up
: Gilks, Robinson, MacKenzie, Broadfoot, Chopra, S Davies, Ince, Ferguson, Basham, Cathcart, Martinez (Grant, 74). Subs not used: Grant, Bishop, Osbourne, Halstead, Eccleston, Barkhuizen, Harris.Blackpool line-up
: 17,470 (4,447 away fans)Attendance
: Mr R MadleyReferee