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Blackpool and Birmingham were relegated from the English Premier League on Sunday as Wigan and Wolves scrambled to safety in a thrilling finale to the season.
Blackpool’s fairytale debut season in the top-flight came to an end at Old Trafford where they were beaten 4-2 by champions Manchester United while Birmingham were sent down after losing 2-1 at Tottenham.
The epicentre of the drama came at Molineux, where Wolves looked to be heading for humiliation against Blackburn after Jason Roberts, Socceroos midfielder Brett Emerton and Junior Hoilett put Rovers 3-0 up at half-time.
But Mick McCarthy’s men were thrown a lifeline when Jamie O’Hara scored on 73 minutes to make it 3-1 before Stephen Hunt pulled another goal back for Wolves three minutes from time.
At that stage Hunt’s goal would have been enough to send Birmingham down on goals scored as the Blues held Spurs 1-1 at White Hart Lane after Craig Gardner cancelled out Roman Pavlyuchenko’s opener for Tottenham.
Pavlyuchenko’s second goal of the afternoon in the 90th minute was the final nail in the coffin as Birmingham’s two-year stay in the Premier League came to a heart-breaking end in stark contrast to their joy earlier this season when they won the League Cup.
At Old Trafford, Blackpool had dared to dream of a stunning upset over United when goals from Charlie Adam and Gary Taylor-Fletcher fired the Seasiders into a 2-1 lead following Park Ji-Sung’s early opener.
But an equaliser from Brazilian midfielder Anderson was followed by an Ian Evatt own goal before Michael Owen wrapped up a 4-2 victory that sent Ian Holloway’s popular minnows back to the Championship next season.
Wigan, who had started the day second from bottom, meanwhile completed their Houdini act when a Hugo Rodallega goal on 78 minutes gave them a priceless 1-0 win over Stoke at the Britannia Stadium.
The victory gave Wigan back-to-back wins for the first time this season, and followed last weekend’s remarkable escape act when they came from 2-0 down to beat West Ham 3-2.
In other results on Sunday, Manchester City made sure of automatic qualification to the Champions League after goals from Joleon Lescott and Edin Dzeko handed them a 2-0 win at Bolton.
But a dismal season for Arsenal finished with a 2-2 draw at Fulham, where goals from Robin van Persie and Theo Walcott cancelled out strikes from Steve Sidwell and Bobby Zamora.
The result left Arsenal in fourth place and means Arsene Wenger’s men must go through qualifying to reach next season’s Champions League group stage.
Elsewhere, Chelsea finished runners-up to United despite suffering a 1-0 defeat at Everton who scored through Jermaine Beckford.
Liverpool’s season ended with a 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa which saw them finish in sixth place while West Bromwich Albion fought back from 3-0 down to secure a 3-3 draw at Newcastle.
Already-relegated West Ham were routed 3-0 at home by Sunderland.
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