Tom Bloxham had given the Seasiders the lead after 26 minutes, but the direction of the contest changed following a red card for James Husband in first-half stoppage time.

Jayden Stockley, George Byers, Jaheim Headley, Devante Cole and Ronan Curtis were all on the scoresheet for the Valiants after the break to restore some positivity at Vale Park as the search for a permanent manager continues following Darren Moore’s sacking.

“I’m absolutely delighted,” Smith said as a 12-match winless run came to an end. “I said to the players before the game to treat it as a new season – 24 games to go, new year, new season.

“We’ve got 24 games to fight for our lives. We’ve had disappointments in previous games, but you have to fight and you have to battle, that’s a given. We’ve had that, even if results haven’t shown it, but it definitely showed today.

“Hopefully it’ll be massive for their confidence. We’ve scored five goals against 10 men but, even so, it can be really difficult to play against 10 men. They executed really well today, so hopefully it can give them a lot of confidence going forward.”

Blackpool boss Ian Evatt was left infuriated by a number of calls he felt went against his side, in particular Husband’s sending-off which he states will be appealed by the club.

“There’s three or four huge decisions that the referee got wrong,” he said. “Danny Imray was fouled just before the sending-off, it’s a clear foul.

“I don’t think the red card is a foul. The very most it can be is a yellow, it’s never a red in a million years. We’re in complete control and we were managing the game, but that changed it.

“In the second half we came out and tried to contain them. We conceded a set play which was poor from our point of view, but the second goal was a clear foul which you see given all of the time, and the third one is clearly handball.

“I’m standing here baffled over how we can get it that wrong. I’m incredibly frustrated and I ended up getting a yellow card. I didn’t say anything. I’m honest, if I deserved it I’d say. The referee has absolutely killed us, that’s how I feel.

“My team lost out today through no real fault of their own. I’m always going to protect them.

“I don’t want to speak about it too much because what’s happened has happened, and we have to let everyone else deal with it now.”