Notts County got a lifeline in their bid to preserve Second Division status at the expense of a lethargic Blackpool who only came to life for brief periods of the game.
Yet Blackpool began with the greater menace and could have been two ahead inside the first five minutes. Frazer McHugh cleared off the goal line for Notts, and in the same move, Stuart Garden made the best save of the entire match.
Notts desperately needed the goal which Tony Scully supplied on 23 minutes to lift the anxiety surrounding the Meadow Lane stadium.
Scully picked up the ball on the edge of his own penalty area and tricked his way to within 25 yards of the Blackpool goal when he unleashed a magnificent curling shot which totally deceived Phil Barnes in the Blackpool goal.
Then came County's most rampant spell of the entire contest.
Paul Heffernan added a second six minutes later after a lovely turn and low drive and then Steve Scoffham made it 3-0 four minutes later.
It was a happy moment for local boy Scoffham who was making his first full start in a home match.
At 3-0 ahead, Notts seemed to be coasting but Blackpool manager Steve McMahon gave his players a roasting at the break, which brought them out full of renewed determination and commitment.
Within two minutes of the resumption, Mike Sheron cut the arrears with a well-worked goal and for a spell the Seasiders had Notts rocking.
With Scoffham suffering after a blow on the head on the hour mark, manager Gary Mills replaced him with Andy Parkinson who brought a new spark of life to Notts.
Parkinson laid on County's fourth goal and Heffernan's second on 78 minutes to put the result beyond doubt and to lift the concern sweeping all around the stadium that Notts were going to let it slip.
Notts had outstanding contributions from fullback David Pipe - on loan from Coventry - and midfielder Stefan Oakes.