Half-time: Bristol City 1 Blackpool 0. Without a win in any of their last four games and still smarting from defeat at Derby three days earlier, City were in need of a forthright response in front of their own fans.

They certainly began as though they meant business, Bradley Orr initiating a swift counter-attack which culminated in Cole Skuse meeting Lee Johnson's deep cross with a volley which tested keeper Paul Rachubka.

Despite manager Gary Johnson making three enforced changes – Louis Carey, Lewin Nyatanga and Skuse coming in for the suspended Jamie McCombe, the injured Liam Fontaine and shingles victim Paul Hartley respectively – City demonstrated impressive cohesion and invention without quite managing to convert chances into the only currency that matters, goals.

If Marvin Elliott could be excused for heading weakly at Rachubka when straining to reach a cross, Alvaro Saborio could claim no such mitigating circumstances when Nicky Maynard raced on to Evander Sno's pass and cut the ball back for his striking partner. City fans expected the net to bulge, only for the Costa Rica international to sky his shot from six yards out under pressure from Alex Baptiste.

Saborio did his best to make amends a few minutes later, surging into the penalty area and electing to pass to Maynard instead of shooting himself. Presented with a clear sight of goal with only Rachubka to beat, City's top-scorer somehow contrived to shoot wide of a gaping target, to the astonishment of those home fans in the East End.

City had failed to score a single first-half goal in 11 games this season and that depressing sequence seemed set to continue until Blackpool's defence was split asunder on 28 minutes. Skuse played the ball into the penalty area mix, Charlie Adam could only head it back towards his own goal and there was Maynard, twisting to execute a perfect overhead kick to claim his seventh of the season from close range.

That served to awake the Seasiders from their slumbers and they threatened an equaliser eight minutes before half-time, Ben Burgess meeting Jason Euell's swinging cross with a firm header which forced Adriano Basso to effect a finger-tip save at the expense of a corner.

Suddenly, the confidence derived from recent victories over Peterborough, Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United came flooding back and the visitors were in the ascendancy for the remainder of the first half.

David Vaughan sent a drive inches wide of Basso's right-hand post, while Euell's goal-bound effort was deflected behind with City's defence at sixes and sevens.