Nottingham Forest go into the home leg of the play-offs a goal behind after being beaten by Blackpool for the third time this season.
It was an exciting, entertaining first half of football with both sides creating plenty of chances. Forest looked fluent going forward and had more of the possession and were rewarded with the first goal of the game.
But Blackpool got back on level terms and fought off pressure from Forest to keep things level at half time.
The home side turned things round in the second half, putting all the pressure on and going in front from the penalty spot.
In spite of their efforts Forest were unable to produce the same attacking football as they had in the first half.
It was a lively start and Forest's first effort on goal came after four minutes with a burst of pace by Nathan Tyson to get past two players, but his long-range effort went over the crossbar.
But Blackpool were soon on the attack and when they won a free kick Lee Camp just beat Chris Gunter to the ball to punch Charlie Adam's cross away.
Tyson's pace proved too much for Ian Evatt who picked up a yellow card as he tried to stop the Forest striker from making a break.
Forest scored out of nowhere in the 13th minute when Blackpool failed to clear the ball. It started with a long ball forward from Camp into the Blackpool penalty area. It was cleared by Alex Baptiste but only as far as Radoslaw Majewski whose pass bounced for Chris Cohen on the left edge of the penalty box and he sent a superb shot flying past Matthew Gilks into the top right of the net.
And they could have made it two when a free kick from Cohen came in to the far post where Wes Morgan was just inches away from getting on the end of it.
Blackpool were back on level terms in the 26th minute with some beautiful football. Seamus Coleman picked up the ball on the right and ran with it across the edge of the penalty area before passing out to Evatt on the left. He sent the ball back in to Keith Southern whose effort from close range had a diving Camp beaten and went past Kelvin Wilson who tried to clear on the line.
Forest were nearly back in front after a break from midfield by Majewski. He passed the ball out to Paul Anderson on the left whose cross found Dexter Blackstock inside the box. His header came off the crossbar and back out to Tyson whose acrobatic shot was only just over.
Forest continued to put the pressure on late in the half but Blackpool defended well to keep the scoreline level.
Forest had two chances from corners in stoppage time. The first from Makewski was flicked on by Anderson to Morgan whose effort was cleared off the line.
And Forest threatened again from the resulting corner with Blackpool defending well and Stephen Crainey eventually clearing the danger just before the half time whistle.
Blackpool started the second half well and Morgan did well to deflect an early chance by Brett Ormerod.
The home side continued to put the pressure on and were awarded a penalty ten minutes into the half when James Perch cut across D J Campbell, bringing him down just inside the box.
Adam sent Camp the wrong way and buried the ball low into the left corner of the net to put Blackpool in front.
Forest had a chance of a quick equalizer from a free kick on the right edge of the D, but Cohen's effort went over the bar.
Campbell wasted a chance when Adam crossed the ball to him in acres of space on the left but he sent the ball flying high over the bar.
Blackpool were unfairly awarded a free kick just inside the D after a great tackle by Wilson, who had clearly got the ball before Gary Taylor-Fletcher went down under his challenge, but Adam's effort went off the wall.
As Forest sought to refresh the side in their attempts to get an equalizer David McGoldrick and Robert Earnshaw both came on in the 77th minute, replacing Majewski and Blackstock.
But it was the home side that came close to scoring again after a cross from substitute Stephen Dobbie to another substitute Ben Burgess, whose effort was just inches wide of the post.
Lewis McGugan replaced Tyson in the 90th minute, with five minutes stoppage time remaining.
A great save by Gilks stopped Cohen getting his second of the game in the final seconds, with the Blackpool keeper tipping the ball round the post.
Nottingham Forest: Camp, Perch, Morgan, Wilson, Gunter, McKenna(C), Majewski(McGoldrick 78min), Cohen, Anderson, Tyson(McGugan 90min), Blackstock(Earnshaw 78min)
Subs not used: Smith, Chambers, Boyd, Garner,
Bookings: Blackstock 54min, Perch 57min, McKenna 64min, Gunter 75min, Earnshaw 89min
Scorer: Cohen 13min
Blackpool: Gilks, Coleman, Baptiste, Evatt, Crainey, Southern, Vaughan, Adam, Taylor-Fletcher(Burgess 79min), Ormerod( Dobbie 82min), Campbell(Bannan 82min)
Subs not used: Rachubka, Edwards, Clarke, Euell,
Bookings: Evatt 6min, Coleman 54min, Vaughan 71min
Scorer: Southern 26min, Adam pen 57min
Referee: Phil Dowd
Attendance: 11,805, away 1,209
