Stevenage 1
Blackpool 3
League (League One)

Match report written by Neil Metcalfe, The Comet

A hat-trick in 11 second-half minutes from Rob Apter was enough to hand Blackpool an easy holiday win over a lacklustre Stevenage.

They ripped through Boro with a little too much ease, and by the time Carl Piergianni made it 3-1, it was too little, too late.

It was a performance that maybe answered a few questions about the Boro squad, but it simply added to the summer workload for Alex Revell.

The boss made three changes from the frustrating and late loss to Wycombe Wanderers last week.

Dan Sweeney, Brandon Hanlan and Jamie Reid came in for Charlie Goode, Louis Appere and Jake Young.

Jake Forster-Caskey continued his rehabilitation on the bench while Taye Ashby-Hammond kept his place in goal with Rylee Mitchell on the bench.

The first half was a typical end of season match-up between two mid-table sides.

That's not to say neither weren't trying, there was some lovely passing from Boro but none of it ever really threatened to break through Blackpool's two banks of four.

The visitors didn't come out from their defensive duties but did have the first couple of shots, and probably should have scored with the first on four minutes.

Niall Ennis got behind Carl Piergianni and when he had to lay it back, he found Lee Evans.

And he should have done better than hit it way to close to Ashby-Hammond.

Rob Apter was also denied by the keeper while Dan Kemp had the one chance from Stevenage on target, a daisy cutter that was straight at Harry Tryer.

Dan Phillips and Harvey White also had attempts towards goal but Phillips almost hit the cameraman at the back of the South Stand while White's effort cleared the stand itself.

A lack of quality when it came to deliveries was the main reason for Boro's inability to score, that and a lack of forward movement or picking the right option.

They had an early chance but Brandon Hanlan couldn't dig the ball out from under his feet and Louis Thompson passed responsibility onto Luther Wildin.

The full-back's shot was straight at the keeper.

That prompted a good spell from Blackpool and it quickly brought two goals.

Ennis and Ashley Fletcher got in each other's way and then Sonny Carey shot at Ashby-Hammond.

That last chance had come after Louis Thompson gave the ball away and when Harvey White was robbed, a quick pass to Apter on the edge of the area allowed him to sweep it home.

His second was seven minutes later, getting down the right side of the box and firing across Ashby-Hammond, and he sealed the match ball as Ashley Fletcher was given too much space to pick him out in the middle.

Sonny Carey could have made it four but after poking a cross past Ashby-Hammond it came off the bar.

But then Boro stirred.

A free-kick from Forster-Caskey was delivered to the back post and headed back across Tyrer and in from the Boro skipper.

They thought they had a second went an Elliott List header from another Forster-Caskey set-piece, this time a corner, was helped in by Kemp.

He was in an offside position though.

And there was more late pressing but it was all too little, too late.