Birmingham 2-2 Blackpool (2-3 agg.): Dobbie and Blackpool seal return to Wembley

Leading 1-0 from Friday night’s first leg, the Seasiders took firm control of the tie with two goals minutes either side of half-time from Stephen Dobbie and Matt Phillips.

Nikola Zigic gave Blues a glimmer of hope before skipper Curtis Davies headed the equaliser on the night - but the hosts could not find a crucial winner which would have levelled the tie on aggregate and taken the contest into extra-time, so their 62nd match of a long season proved the last.

Blackpool will now meet the Hammers at Wembley on 19 May, with the most lucrative match in world football guaranteeing the winners an immediate return to the Barclays Premier League. If Blackpool triumph, it will be the third successive year Dobbie has won promotion to the Premier at Wembley via the play-offs, following his successes with the Seasiders two years ago and Swansea in 2011. Both Blackpool and Birmingham, and respective managers Ian Holloway and Chris Hughton, had performed superbly in reaching the play-offs having rebuilt their ranks following relegation from the top flight 12 months ago.

But additional credit must now go to Holloway for guiding his side to the showpiece final for the second time in three seasons, although his side will have to improve upon 4-0 and 4-1 defeats to West Ham during the regular league season.

Dobbie made the breakthrough when Ince’s corner was only half headed out by Davies, who managed to block Alex Baptiste’s subsequent overhead but the ball broke for the Scot and his low shot agonisingly squirmed under Doyle at his near post. Within three second-half minutes, the tie appeared all but over. Phillips timed his burst to perfection to run off the shoulder of Murphy and bring down Stephen Crainey’s long ball, with a trickling neat finish beating Doyle and crossing the line off the far post. But Zigic gave Birmingham hope in the 64th minute with a well-taken finish having been put through by Chris Burke. Davies then headed home Jordon Mutch’s corner to leve on the night. Despite five minutes of injury time, Blackpool were left celebrating.

Birmingham City: Doyle, Ramage, Davies, Ibanez, Murphy, Burke, Spector (N’Daw 44), Mutch, Townsend (Redmond 62), King, Zigic. Subs not used: Butland, Elliott, Rooney. Booked: Zigic, Redmond.

Blackpool: Gilks, Eardley, Baptiste, Evatt, Crainey, Matt Phillips (Kevin Phillips 85), Ferguson, Angel, Ince (Southern 69), Dobbie (Dicko 76), Taylor-Fletcher. Subs Not Used: Halstead,Cathcart.

Referee: C Foy. Attendance: 28,48