Clarke goal sinks Millwall

Peter Clarke's first goal of the season boosted Blackpool's hopes of avoiding relegation from the Sky Bet Championship with a 1-0 win over fellow strugglers Millwall.The Seasiders had only won one of their previous 14 games in all competitions and earlier in the week owner Owen Oyston wrote an open letter to disgruntled Blackpool supporters.But Clarke's first-half header moved the bottom side to within eight points of safety, while Millwall remained inside the bottom three with this their fourth league game without a win.Blackpool forced the first save of the game in the sixth minute as Andrea Orlandi unleashed a fierce left-foot shot from 22 yards which was pushed away by David Forde low to his left.The Lions upped the pressure, though, and threatened after 17 minutes as former Blackpool striker Ricardo Fuller slipped in Martyn Woolford inside the area but he was denied from 12 yards by a superb sliding tackle by Darren O'Dea.Ian Holloway's side almost took the lead after 23 minutes as Fuller's cross was met by Woolford, who headed past keeper Joe Lewis from 12 yards, only to see his goal-bound effort cleared off the line by Clarke.And 10 minutes later the defender turned hero at the other end as the hosts took the lead against the run of play. Clarke headed Jamie O'Hara's free-kick low into the left corner from eight yards.Before that, Blackpool keeper Lewis was called into action on the half-hour mark as he kept out Scott McDonald's ferocious left-footed drive from 25 yards, and the Millwall striker went close again just after the break but lifted his effort wide of the left post from 16 yards.O'Hara almost embarrassed Forde after 49 minutes as the keeper came out of his goal and cleared straight to the Blackpool midfielder - whose attempted lob from the halfway line landed just beyond the goal.Millwall fans began to grow frustrated with their own side and launched a tirade of abuse at top-scorer Fuller - who gave some back before being hauled off by Holloway.But the away side continued to threaten as Andy Wilkinson chipped forward to substitute Stefan Maierhofer who brought the ball down but smashed his effort over the bar from 22 yards.Maierhofer then missed a golden opportunity to pull the scores level after 75 minutes as Clarke's clearance presented him with an open goal but the striker could only slash high and wide from 10 yards.And as the visitors pressed for a late equaliser, Blackpool almost caught them on the break as Saer Sene broke clean through on goal, but the French striker was denied by a super last-ditch tackle by Sid Nelson.