Blackpool star Daniel Grimshaw was left requiring oxygen and was rushed to hospital after a sickening clash with Preston striker Cameron Archer during the Lancashire derby.
The former Manchester City keeper had started the Championship clash at Deepdale on Tuesday night for the Seasiders. Archer was put through on goal by Alan Browne, with Grimshaw racing out to close him down.
But the two rivals clashed, with Archer appearing to catch Grimshaw on the head with his knee. The Blackpool star was given oxygen, with medical staff on the pitch for more than 10 minutes before he was stretchered off.
Chris Maxwell came on to replace in, with Blackpool using a concussion substitution to make the change. Those rules came into force this season, allowing both sides to make four substitutions in a game should it be invoked during proceedings.
After leaving the field to applause from all corners of Preston's Deepdale home, Grimshaw was taken to Royal Preston Hospital in an ambulance. Archer later popped up to be the hero for the hosts, scoring in the third minute of first-half injury time to put Preston in front.
Grimshaw only moved to Bloomfield Road last summer and replaced Maxwell as Blackpool's first choice keeper after a period on the bench. He has made 28 appearances in all competitions with Neil Critchley's men comfortably in mid-table in the second tier.
This is Grimshaw's first spell with a senior EFL team in England, have previously spent time on loan at non-league Hemel Hempstead and Belgian side Lommel. He has kept eight clean sheets this season having displaced Maxwell between the sticks.
He played all 90 minutes in the reverse fixture against Blackpool's fierce rivals North End, keeping a clean sheet in a 2-0 win. Goals from Keshi Anderson and Gary Madine secured the bragging rights in that game, but Blackpool were not able to secure a double over their close neighbours.
Instead, Archer's goal proved to be decisive, in what was an extended period of added on time at the end of the first-half. The striker finished off a fast break with a shot from the left side of the box which beat Maxwell to seal all three points.
Blackpool boss Critchley later confirmed that confirmed Grimshaw is awake in hospital and responsive after the collision.
