later. Ian Holloway resigned as manager on the morning of 3 November, a match day at Derby County, to become the new manager of Crystal Palace. Assistant manager Steve Thompson took charge in a caretaker capacity for the fixture, but Holloway's team selection stuck. Blackpool lost 4–1, their sixth defeat of their fourteen League games. Thompson remained in charge for the following game, in which Blackpool balanced their win–loss record with a 2–0 victory at Sheffield Wednesday. Portsmouth manager Michael Appleton was named as Holloway's successor on 7 November. His first game in charge was at home to Bolton Wanderers three days later. The match finished 2–2. A week later, Blackpool travelled to Bristol City and came home with a point after a 1–1 draw. A Tom Ince penalty — his tenth goal of the campaign — in the closing seconds of the game kept Appleton's unbeaten start intact. Blackpool climbed to 12th place in the table with the result. A third-successive draw followed, at home to Watford on 24 November. The Hornets went two goals ahead before the half-hour mark, but the hosts fought back to take a point with second-half strikes from Kevin Phillips and, in the final seconds of the game, Isaiah Osbourne. Three days later, Blackpool hosted Birmingham City. Tom Ince opened the scoring on 17 minutes, but Curtis Davies put City level three minutes into the second half. Blackpool sat sixteenth with the point. Into December, and Michael Appleton notched his first win with a 4–1 scoreline at Peterborough United. Wes Thomas, on loan from Bournemouth, put the visitors ahead on 51 minutes with his first goal for the Tangerines. Seven minutes later, Tom Ince doubled Blackpool's lead from the penalty spot. Dwight Gayle pulled one back for the Posh on 71 minutes, but Nouha Dicko restored Blackpool's two-goal cushion ten minutes later. Two minutes from time, Ince scored his second and Blackpool's fourth. The win lifted Blackpool to eleventh. On 8 December, Blackpool travelled to Ian Holloway's Crystal Palace. Nathan Delfouneso gave Blackpool the lead on 37 minutes. Owen Garvan equalised seven minutes in the second half. Glenn Murray put Palace ahead for the first time just after the hour mark, but substitute Nouha Dicko scored in the final minute to maintain Michael Appleton's unbeaten start to his Blackpool career. On 15 December, Blackpool faced Blackburn Rovers at Bloomfield Road. Wes Thomas scored his