A 90th-minute winner from debutant Paul Dickov gave Blackpool a dramatic late win over his former club Leicester.

The Manchester City striker joined the Seasiders this week on loan until the end of the season and came off the bench to give Blackpool their first win in five games.

The hosts made a dream start on a bitterly cold afternoon at Bloomfield Road with Gary Taylor-Fletcher hitting a third-minute opener.

After a dismal first-half performance, Leicester drew level through Steve Howard's 62nd-minute strike, but veteran striker Dickov

intervened to snatch all three points and boost the Seasiders' survival hopes.

Leicester had kept a clean sheet in their last three games but were caught napping by a Stephen Crainey free-kick from 10 yards inside his own half.

The Blackpool left-back hit a diagonal ball over the Leicester defence, where Taylor-Fletcher crept in behind Joe Mattock and Patrick Kisnorbo and took a touch before steering the ball inside the far post from 10 yards.

Leicester replied in the sixth minute with Barry Hayles tormenting Kaspars Gorkss on the right before crossing into the box and captain Stephen Clemence headed over from six yards.

With just two stands completed and a temporary stand along one side, the two teams were exposed to the elements and struggled to maintain possession as there was no let- up in the blustery conditions on the Lancashire coast.

Blackpool's Stephen McPhee headed wide from Shaun Barker's right-wing cross just after the half-hour mark.

Ben Burgess then fired wide from the edge of the box after being released in the left channel while Barker headed over from Wes Hoolahan's left-wing corner.

Leicester made a double substitution at the break, with Mattock and Zsolt Laczko making way for James Chambers and DJ Campbell.

And the Foxes made an immediate improvement with Steve Howard glancing a header wide from Clemence's right-wing corner, before Matt Oakley blazed over shortly after his surging run forced a corner on the left.

Blackpool then went close with Burgess heading over from Hoolahan's left-wing cross while Taylor-Fletcher volleyed over from a wide angle on the hour mark.

But the visitors equalised moments later as defender Ian Evatt could only turn Iain Hume's pull-back into the path of Howard, who slotted home his second Leicester goal from 10 yards.

Blackpool replaced McPhee with Dickov in the 71st minute and almost immediately the tenacious striker rushed Ben Alnwick into a scuffed clearance, but with the Leicester goalkeeper stranded, Burgess lofted the ball over from 35 yards.

Then Barker headed down a searching free-kick from goalkeeper Paul Rachubka and Dickov pounced to smash the ball home from eight yards.

Teams:

Blackpool Rachubka, Barker, Gorkss, Evatt, Crainey, Flynn, Jorgensen, Taylor-Fletcher, Hoolahan (Welsh 77), McPhee (Dickov 70), Burgess (Morrell 77).

Subs Not Used: Jackson, Fox.

Goals: Taylor-Fletcher 3, Dickov 90.

Leicester Alnwick, Stearman, Kisnorbo, McAuley, Mattock (James Chambers 46), Hume (Bori 83), Oakley, Clemence, Laczko (Campbell 46), Howard, Hayles.

Subs Not Used: N'Gotty, Fryatt.

Booked: Laczko, Stearman.

Goals: Howard 62.

Att: 9,298

Ref: Graham Laws (Tyne & Wear).