A TAYLOR Moore own goal six minutes into stoppage time saw Southend United held to a 2-2 draw at Blackpool this afternoon.

The hosts were roared on by close to a capacity crowd following the removal of the controversial Oyston family as owners.

But Blues seemed to have pooped the party with goals from Rob Kiernan and Michael Turner putting Chris Powell’s side in front until the final move of the match when Moore headed the ball past Nathan Bishop.

Blackpool started brightly with Harry Pritchard having a curling 20 yard shot impressively pushed around the left post by Blues goalkeeper Bishop.

The Shrimpers hit back with Charlie Kelman curling a low effort straight at Blackpool goalkeeper Mark Howard from a similar distance.

But, with 20 minutes on the clock, the visitors broke the deadlock with Kiernan scoring on his return to action.

The centre-back was making his first start since August 2017 after final recovering from operations on both knees and marked his return to action with a goal as he leapt high to head Sam Mantom’s left wing corner into the bottom right hand corner of the net.

However, Blues were in front for just seven minutes as Blackpool soon drew back level when Liam Feeney composed himself before rolling a pass into the path of Armand Gnanduillet who smashed a powerful left footed shot from the left hand side of the penalty area into the roof of the net.

The Shrimpers dug deep to stay level until the break and threatened at the start of the second half with Kelman sending a low, left footed shot straight at Howard.

Blackpool replied with Ollie Turton sending an angled effort inches wide of the left post before Blues regained the lead in the 48th minute, with Turner on target for the first time this season.

The defender was picked out by a right wing corner from Mantom and sent a nearly controlled volley high into the left hand side of the net.

Blackpool responded with a double change as both Chris Long and Donervon Daniels entered the action and Long came close to making an immediate impression as his low effort was smartly smothered by Bishop at his near post.

Moments later and, with 73 minutes clock, Blues boss Chris Powell made his first change of the afternoon with the fit-again Jason Demetriou making his first appearance since suffering a knee problem against Scunthorpe United in October.

Demetriou had bizarrely been yellow carded before entering the action and, shortly after the defender’s introduction, referee Chris Sarginson again took centre stage as Long looked to win a penalty.

The striker went to ground when close to a sliding Bishop but referee Chris Sarginson waved away the appeals and also booked Long for diving.

Six minutes from time, Blues made a second change with Taylor Moore replacing Mantom.

And the Shrimpers soon wasted a golden chance to wrap up their win as Demetriou played in Cox, only for the striker to be denied by Howard when clean through on goal.

The missed opportunity came back to haunt the visitors late on when a deflected left wing cross was headed into his own net by Moore to leave Blues just three points above the relegation zone.