Blackpool manager Ian Holloway praised his side's persistence after they came from a goal down to beat Scunthorpe 4-1 and rise to fifth in the Championship.

The Iron were comfortably the better side for an hour and took the lead through Paul Hayes' 51st-minute opener, before Ian Evatt levelled for the home side.

Iron goalkeeper Joe Murphy was then sent off for deliberate handball, with the decision paving the way for Charlie Adam, Ben Burgess and Alex Baptiste to seal the sixth home win this season for Holloway's men.

Holloway said: "The first half was a non event. Quite frankly it bored me. I did not like it.

"However, we can't be tip-top all the time. Scunthorpe had a game plan to stop us and are probably the first team to come here with that sort of plan.

"But we did not let our heads go even when we went one down and came back at them with two great strikes".

Scunthorpe manager Nigel Adkins blamed a "crazy five minutes" for his side's defeat.

Adkins said: "We came with a good game plan and it really worked for us. Blackpool are an excellent side but they could not find a way round our formation in the first half.

"We were the side which was creating chances and I think we looked dangerous particularly down the flanks.

"Then we get one up and all of a sudden things fall apart in that five minute period. We get our goalkeeper sent off. I feel sorry for him but the referee had no option and from then on we were up against it".

Scunthorpe played five men across the back in the first half but were always quick to counter-attack.

The Seasiders seemed unable to break down this formation although there was one magnificent effort on 10 minutes when a Billy Clarke curler hit the post from 20 yards out.

Home keeper Matt Gilks did well to spread himself to block shots from Matt Sparrow and Michael O'Connor in the first half.

After the break Blackpool suddenly found some movement up front but they went behind on 51 minutes when defender Marcel Seip tried to take on one man too many as he dribbled out of defence.

The ball broke kindly for Scunthorpe in the tackle and fell to Hayes who drew Gilks from his line before neatly chipping at the keeper.

The lead lasted just eight minutes. Blackpool equalised through defender Evatt who rose beautifully to meet Adam's free kick to finish with a header into the top corner.

On 61 minutes Scunthorpe's hopes were shattered when keeper Murphy was sent off.

He raced out of goal to block the onrushing Hameur Bouazza but handled outside the penalty area. Substitute keeper Sam Slocombe replaced Murphy but his first job was to pick the ball out of the back of the net when Adam slammed home a vicious free kick punishing Murphy's red card.

On 70 minutes Blackpool sealed victory when Steve Crainey broke into the box. His cross squirmed out of Slocombe's hands and Burgess ran home.

The fourth came on 89 minutes through defender Baptiste who thundered home a 25-yard shot which took a deflection past Slocombe.