Team news

Adam back for Seasiders Blackpool are boosted by the return of Charlie Adam as they prepare to play host to Scunthorpe.

The Scotland midfielder missed last weekend's 3-3 draw at Doncaster through suspension after picking up five yellow cards this season, but he is available to face Nigel Adkins' side.

Ishmel Demontagnac serves the second game of a three-match ban following his sending off in a reserve game, while Neal Eardley faces a late fitness test on the knee injury that kept him out of the trip to the Keepmoat.

Daniel Nardiello played 90 minutes for the reserves in midweek and will hope to force his way into manager Ian Holloway's plans.

Stephen McPhee (knee) and Danny Coid (hairline fracture of the tibia) remain long-term absentees and are not expected to return in the near future.

Blackpool are unbeaten at home this season and have won their last six successive games at Bloomfield Road in all competitions.

Scunthorpe defender Rob Jones is expected to be fit for the trip.

The centre-half has declared himself available after struggling with a back injury and should be fine to resume his partnership with David Mirfin.

There is bad news for manager Nigel Adkins, though, with striker Gary Hooper and midfielder Josh Wright both unlikely to be involved.

The pair have been laid low by a virus all week and have struggled to train, with Jonathan Forte preparing to come in for Hooper, while Martyn Woolford would replace Wright.

Marcus Williams is also struggling with a leg injury and normal left-back deputy Ian Morris has a knee problem, so George Friend could make his debut.

Blackpool vs Scunthorpe

Last modified 17:27 07/11/09

Sending off proves vital Joe Murphy was sent off on his 250th league start as Blackpool turned around a one-goal deficit to beat Scunthorpe 4-1 and maintain their unbeaten home record.

The Iron were comfortably the better side for an hour and took the lead through Paul Hayes' 51st-minute opener, before Ian Evatt levelled for the home side.

Keeper Murphy was then sent off for deliberate handball, with the decision paving the way for Charlie Adam, Ben Burgess and Alex Baptiste to seal the win for Ian Holloway's men, leaving Scunthorpe without a win at Bloomfield Road since April 2000.

They have also lost their last three games but will return to Lincolnshire wondering what could have been.

Blackpool, with two draws from their last two games, started well with Adam slamming a long-range drive just over, while at the other end Grant McCann scraped an effort wide for the Iron.

Scunthorpe's passing game was causing Blackpool a number of problems and had Hayes reacted better when he found himself well placed they could have opened the scoring.

As it was, the home side were the first to go genuinely close, as Billy Clarke bent an effort against the post after beating Rob Jones for pace.

Scunthorpe continued to threaten and Matt Sparrow was denied by Matt Gilks after breaking through, while Hayes should have done better with a free header from a corner.

Hayes, playing without his usual strike partner Gary Hooper because of illness, continued to cause problems and flashed a drive across the face of Blackpool's goal that Andrew Wright almost got on the end of.

Scunthorpe were by far the most dangerous of the two sides but were not able to make their dominance count before the interval came.

They nearly did four minutes after the restart, though, with Hayes twisting and turning before thumping a shot straight at Gilks.

Hayes finally got his reward 51 minutes in, collecting Grant McCann's precision pass before clipping the ball over the advancing Gilks for a picture book goal.

David Mirfin very nearly found a way through a crowded box to give the Iron a second goal, before the game turned on its head in the space of 11 minutes.

First of all, Evatt found himself unmarked at the back post to nod home Baptiste's cross for a second goal of the season a minute before the hour mark.

Then, George Friend, making his Iron debut, sold David Mirfin short with a backpass. Murphy came out of his area to provide cover and, after Baptiste robbed Mirfin of possession, the Republic of Ireland keeper automatically saved Baptiste's goalbound effort prompting referee Colin Webster to brandish the red card.

Debutant Sam Slocombe came off the bench to replace Murphy, but his first touch was to pick Adam's 64th-minute free-kick out of the back of the net - a delightful strike which would have left most goalkeepers with no chance.

Keith Southern then hit the bar for a rampant Blackpool, before an error from Slocombe allowed Burgess to convert from close range with 20 minutes remaining.

Slocombe fumbled Stephen Crainey's cross and Burgess was on hand to capitalise.

With Scunthorpe now beaten, Baptiste rubbed salt in their wounds with a 25-yard drive a minute from time, while Sparrow had a late goal ruled out for offside.