Full-time: Bristol City 2 Blackpool 0. City's strikers rediscovered their shooting boots to spoil Ian Holloway's much-publicised return to Bristol.

Victorious with Leicester City on his last visit to Ashton Gate two seasons ago, the former Bristol Rovers boss was intent upon perpetrating a similar hit-and-run raid with his in-form Blackpool side.

But Holloway had not reckoned on Nicky Maynard stealing his thunder on this occasion. City's leading scorer gave his side the lead midway through the first half and then created a second for substitute Danny Haynes to deliver a first Championship success in five attempts.

Not only does this victory keep City in the top half of the table, it also serves to restore confidence ahead of Saturday's summit meeting with leaders Newcastle United at St James Park.

Robins manager Gary Johnson blamed the absence of a killer instinct on his team's failure to beat Coventry, Swansea, Scunthorpe and Derby in recent weeks. And this game appeared to be going the same way when Maynard and Saborio missed absolute sitters in the opening quarter of an hour.

But that all changed when Maynard opened the scoring on 28 minutes. He then set-up strike partner Haynes for his first City goal 13 minutes into the second half to confirm City's dominance.

Victorious in their last three outings and up to fifth in the Championship table, Blackpool seldom threatened City's unbeaten home record and finished well beaten.

Without a victory 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 Cole 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 onto 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.

Johnson's half-time team talk revived City, who commenced the second period with renewed purpose, Maynard engineering room on the edge of the penalty area for a shot which curled beyond the angle of post and bar.

But actions speak louder than words and the manager's decision to replace Saborio with Haynes seven minutes into the second period proved decisive. The former Ipswich raider had only been on the pitch for five minutes when he raced on to Maynard's incisive back-heel and beat Rachubka with a well-placed shot which found the left-hand corner of the net.

Haynes' first competitive goal since arriving from Portman Road confirmed the home side's supremacy and persuaded Seasiders boss Holloway to make a triple substitution just after the hour mark.

But City continued to dictate terms and almost made it 3-0, Sno's slide-rule pass inviting Marvin Elliott to unleash a powerful 20-yard drive which forced the athletic Rachubka to make a breathtaking save at full stretch.

Euell brought a spectacular save from Basso, but Blackpool had too little left in the tank to trouble City, whose fans delighted in giving Holloway the bird at the final whistle.

Bristol City (4-3-1-2): Basso; Orr, Carey, Nyatanga, McAllister; Skuse, Elliott, Johnson; Sno; Maynard (Williams 77), Saborio (Haynes 52).

Blackpool (4-4-2): Rachubka; Edwards, Baptiste, Eardley, Crainey; Vaughan, Southern, Adam (Clarke 61), Bouazza (Emmanuel-Thomas 61); Euell, Burgess (Ormerod 61).

Referee: Roger East (Wiltshire)

Attendance: 13,673