BLACKPOOL 2 (Dicko 75, M Phillips 80), LEEDS 1 (Lees 17)
Blackpool: Gilks, Crainey, Eardley, Gomes, K Phillips, Ince, Taylor-Fletcher, Baptiste, Osbourne (M Phillips 64), Cathcart, Angel (Dicko 64). Subs: Grandin, Sylvestre, Noguera, Halstead, Harris.
Leeds: Kenny, Byram, Lees, Pearce, Peltier, White (Pugh 79), Norris, Austin, Varney, McCormack (Diouf 58). Becchio. Subs: Drury, Kisnorbo, Ashdown, Brown, Gray.
Referee: D Whitestone
Booked: Lees, Varney (United)
With Paul Green sidelined due to a knee injury, Neil Warnock re-shuffled slightly, Tom Lees returning at centre back, Lee Peltier moving to left back, and Aidy White moving up to the right side of midfield.
The United boss had talked about Blackpool's attacking prowess and, as expected, the hosts looked to start on the front foot and put Leeds under some early pressure.
Paddy Kenny had to come off his line inside the opening 10 minutes to deny Tiago Gomes after some neat build-up play by the home side.
Lees was making his seasonal debut and he found himself in the book early on, following a crunching challenge on Gary Taylor-Fletcher. The unruffled defender responded by heading clear the resultant free-kick.
Gomes was involved again moments later when Kenny pulled off a terrific save and after the United goalkeeper delivered the ball quickly upfield, it took some good defending from Neal Eardley to head clear under pressure from Luke Varney.
But it was 1-0 to United after Blackpool failed to clear the pressure and Lees rose well to head the ball home.
The home side threatened again, courtesy of Thomas Ince, and on 23 minutes Kenny was called upon to deny Phillips after an incisive ball from Taylor-Fletcher.
Kenny was in outstanding form, and he pulled off another terrific one-handed save to deny Alex Baptiste while several Blackpool players appealed for a handball by Lees during the build-up. Stephen Crainey also sent a shot just over the top as the hosts looked for a route back into the game.
As the game headed towards the break there was a short halt to proceedings as Peltier received treatment, but the hosts threatened again moments before the whistle when Crainey picked out Ince, but the player sent his shot fizzing across the face of goal.
After Kenny's heroics in the first half, the inside of the upright came to United's rescue less than 30 seconds after the re-start when Isaiah Osbourne drilled a powerful strike past the Leeds keeper.
But it was United who came close to bagging a second moments later when Ross McCormack sent an effort narrowly wide. Blackpool were next to go close when the impressive Ince lifted a shot over the bar.
United started to see more of the ball as the game headed towards the hour and Warnock also took the opportunity to make his first change with El-Hadji Diouf replacing McCormack.
Blackool were scrambling on 65 minutes when Matt Gilks had to be at full stretch to get a hand on a Luciano Becchio header as Leeds continued to look like a second goal could yet be in the locker.
But it was the hosts who got back on terms with 15 minutes remaining when Taylor-Fletcher picked out Nouah Dicko with a low cross and the Blackpool man turned the ball beyond the reach of Kenny.
And it was 2-1 five minutes later in similar fashion when Matt Phillips found space to turn another low centre beyond the reach of Kenny.
It was a hammer blow for Leeds who had turned in an excellent rearguard action with the two quickfire goals changing the outlook. Blackpool did have a couple more half-chances to add to their lead, including a free-kick which clipped the bar, and United were unable to force a way back.
