A hotly disputed penalty and a superb lob from close to the half way line saw Blackpool come from behind to dent Port Vale's play-off hopes at Bloomfield Road.
The visitors from the Potteries took the lead after just four minutes when Stephen McPhee held off Gareth Evans to cross for Billy Paynter at the far post who headed the ball unchallenged past Phil Barnes.
Blackpool, who had leading strikers John Murphy and Scott Taylor out injured, struggled to find their way back into the game until a controversial penalty decision by referee Mr Atkinson seven minutes after the break which led Vale boss Martin Foyle to condemn the man in the middle as a “cheat.†Vale defender Michael Walsh appeared to be outside the area when Mr Atkinson ruled that he handled the ball, though, the Vale players protested that the ball had only hit his chest.
Their protests were to no avail, however, and on-loan midfielder Tony Dinning stepped up confidently to convert the spot-kick.
Just six minutes later Blackpool skipper Ritchie Wellens grabbed all three points for his side with a superbly taken long range volley.
Wellens was close to the half way line when spotted Vale keeper Jonathan Brain off his line and hit a fantastic shot on the half volley which dipped over Brain and into the back of the net.
Wellens was an Old Trafford youth player when David Beckham scored a goal from similar distance for Manchester United against Wimbledon and Seasiders manager Steve McMahon said after the game: "You'll not see a better goal at any level this season.
"He must have been watching his mate David Beckham, the technique was superb, and it was a half-volley so his technique had to be absolutely spot on." Vale boss, Martin Foyle, acknowledged the brilliance of the goal but said Blackpool should never have been given a way back into the game.
"Let's get straight to the point - the ref's a cheat. Walsh was a foot outside the penalty area and it hit him plainly on the chest. I could see it from the dugout 40 yards away.
"It was a magnificent goal, you've got to hold your hands up to that, but still we should not be coming away from here with nothing."