IPSWICH Town reached the fourth round of the FA Cup at Bloomfield Road after an eventful game on Saturday.Blackpool ended with nine men and with manager Ian Holloway sent to the stand with Iann Evatt and Rob Edwards both dismissed for professional fouls.

IPSWICH Town reached the fourth round of the FA Cup at Bloomfield Road after an eventful game on Saturday.

Blackpool ended with nine men and with manager Ian Holloway sent to the stand with Iann Evatt and Rob Edwards both dismissed for professional fouls.

Jack Colback gave Town a perfect start with a goal after three minute and Blackpool missed a first half penalty before they came out fighting after the break to equalise in the 51st minute through Brett Ormerod.

Following Edwards' red card Owen Garvan scored from the resultant 77th minute free-kick with Blackpool battling to the end against the odds and Colback and Carlos Edwards being denied late on when both clean through.

Town signed striker John on a new loan agreement from Crystal Palace to January 30 in time for the 33-year-old to fly north with the Blues party yesterday. With joint leading scorer Stead banned for the next four matches, John's experience is something manager Keane wanted to retain.

John played up front with Peters just behind him and Walters and Colback the wider of the four midfielders.

David Wright was able to play despite having five stitches in an ankle wound after the Crystal Palace defeat last Saturday and Delaney fit despite taking a thigh knock in Monday's win over QPR.

Wright and Colback for Edwards and Stead were the two changes from the side that beat Rangers 3-0.

Wickham took a knock in training on Thursday but was also in the party that stayed overnight in a frost-free Blackpool. The players woke up to grey skies and with patchy drizzle and the forecast of possible snow showers.

Wickham was the only striker named on the bench with Priskin, Counago and Martin all missing from the final squad.

The pitch was in good shape having been covered since Wednesday with Town reported to have paid half the cost of providing the sheets.

Blackpool's previous two home games had been lost to a frozen pitch, and they had made every effort to get this all-Championship tie played.

Ipswich got off to a perfect start when Colback, who has had his loan period from Sunderland extended to the end of the season, drove a loose ball 17 yards high into the net in the third minute.

Peters had troubled the home defence and when they failed to clear, Colback pounced for his third goal of the season, and his second against Blackpool.

John shot too high at the near post and Rosenior caused Rachubka concern with a low 18th minute 25 yard low shot, but in the 26th minute Blackpool's majority of possession almost led to an equaliser.

For some unknown reason a linesman signalled that Lee-Barrett had brought Ormerod down when he clearly dived to make contact with the ball. Town's protests were in vain, but when Adam thrashed his penalty goalwards with his left foot the ball thumped back off the inside of Lee-Barrett's left hand post.

It was a let off, but the officials were the only ones in the ground that thought it was a spot kick. Town sailed close to the wind again in the 36th minute when Lee-Barrett fly-kicked the ball against the back of Euell and it ballooned into the air and bounced just short of the goal line. Lee-Barrett was able to run back and collect.

A minute later, Walters crossed low from the left for John to net, but the former was flagged offside.

In the 48th minute Colback's snap shot went over the keeper but a foot wide of the left hand post although home manager Holloway had obviously shook up his side at the interval with Blackpool now having extra spring in their step.

And they levelled in the 51st minute when Ormerod gave Lee-Barrett no chance with a bullet close range header after Adam swung over a perfect cross from near the left corner flag.

Ipswich now had a fight on their hands to stay in the competition, but they manufactured a neat move in the 55th minute that led to Evatt bringing down Colback as the Town player was about to enter the penalty area. Evatt was immediately sent off with Southern moving back from midfield until Edwards came on to partner Baptiste at the back.

In the 64th minute Walters crossed from the right and substitute Wickham was denied his first FA Cup goal when Rachubka plucked his header off the line

Adam shot wide in the 69th minute when well placed as the home side showed they were still very much in this game as temperatures dipped dramatically in the north west.

Walters had a close range 72nd minute header that hit Rachubka following a run and cross by Peters. The keeper knew little about, and Walters can consider himself very unlucky not to have netted his seventh goal of the season.

In the 76th minute the game livened up considerably. Edwards was sent off for a tackle on Walters as the Town man was trying to burst clear. This angered home manager Holloway and home fans, and when Garvan scored with a low left-foot shot from the resultant 20yard free-kick Holloway took his tracksuit off and stormed off.

He came back but after words were exchanged he was sent off by referee Ilderton. Colback and Edwards were both denied when clean through.

The draw for the fourth round takes place on Sunday evening around 6pm with Ipswich safely in the hat with just one defeat in their last 13 games.

Teams

Blackpool: Rachubka; Eardley, Evatt, Baptiste, Crainey; Vaughan (sub Edwards 61), Southern, Adam, Euell (Demontagnac 73); Taylor-Fletcher (Martin 80), Ormerod. Substitutes: Burgess, Halstead, Bangura, Nardiello.

Ipswich Town: Lee-Barrett; Rosenior (Edwards 84), McAuley, Delaney, D Wright; Peters, Leadbitter, Norris (Garvan 53), Colback; Walters, John (Wickham 53). Substitutes: McLoughlin, Balkestein, Bruce, Quinn.

Referee: Mr E Ilderton (Tyne and Wear)

Attendance: 7,332 (588 Ipswich).