Blackpool 0-0 Sheffield Wed
Last updated on .From the section Football
Blackpool goalkeeper Matt Gilks produced an impressive performance to help earn a goalless draw against Sheffield Wednesday that keeps both sides in relegation trouble.
Gilks pulled off fine saves from two early Jermaine Johnson efforts and Giles Coke was thwarted from 25 yards.
Kirk Broadfoot headed against the bar with Blackpool's best chance in the closing stages at Bloomfield Road.
The stalemate leaves Wednesday three points above the relegation zone.
Gilks, whose side are now four points above the bottom four, blocked Johnson's volley from a Steve Howard header after less than a minute before the striker saw another strike pushed wide by the Seasiders goalkeeper.
The home side's goalkeeper also denied Coke from distance to keep his team in the contest.
Blackpool's Tom Ince missed with a shot from just outside the area before Chris Kirkland pulled off a low save from Ludovic Sylvestre's long-range drive.
Kirkland was stretched again when he pushed a bending shot from Ince around the post before Broadfoot saw his header come back off the bar from an Ince corner.
Blackpool manager Paul Ince:
"We haven't got beat, it's another point and another building block before we face Brighton on Saturday.
"The fight to avoid relegation is madness. You'd hope it'd calm down a bit but it hasn't and it seems to be the teams below us who are picking up points against top teams.
"Anyone can beat anyone in this league, but since I've been playing football I've never seen a league as close as this. It'd be hard to take if anyone went down on 55 points."
Sheffield Wednesday boss Dave Jones:
"The big man Steve Howard was superb, he's run himself into the ground on a pitch like that and he deserves all the credit.
"I asked him to do a job and he did exactly that. He won his headers, he ran his socks off and with Jermaine Johnson playing alongside him, we caused them problems.
"We will keep battling on, picking up points and we have another massive game on Saturday.
"We know we are not safe yet but we will be doing everything in our power to get out of trouble as soon as we possibly can."
