Fleetwood Town FC 6 Lancaster City FC 0

Saturday August 4th 2007 Pre Season Friendly

Crowd 253

Goals: FTFC – Andy Bell, Johnathan Smith, Alex Taylor (pen), Jamie Milligan 2, Steve Foster

The last time that Fleetwood entertained our close neighbours was in January 2003 in the Marsden Trophy. We lost 1-0 on a very boggy pitch under manager Mick Hoyle, who was the opposition’s boss this time around! Lancaster were two leagues above us at that time but are now in the division below following financial problems. Lancaster were literally hit for six on a wet afternoon by a Fleetwood team who are racking up the ‘goals for’ total during the pre season friendlies.

Fleetwood were almost caught napping by ex Town player Leon Gierke after only three minutes when he was presented with an open goal but his effort was well wide of the mark. Then, on 11 minutes, Fleetwood opened the scoring. Home skipper Jez Fitzgerald skilfully flicked on a goal-kick and Andy Bell got away from Chris Lyson to round James Brindle and score. Fleetwood were in control now and Bell could well have scored a hat trick but for a good save from the keeper and a wayward shot. Fleetwood went two up just before the break when a Brown free kick was directed into the net via the head of Jonathan Smith.

In the second period Fleetwood made five substitutions. Jamie Milligan made Lancaster’s life a misery with Foster, Taylor and Allen pulling the defence all over the place. Andy Bell was upended on 49 minutes which gave Alex Taylor the chance to get off the mark with a penalty. That was followed by Lancaster’s best chance of the game when Marshall fired in a shot from 30 yards which Danny Hurst could only parry and Ian Stevens sliced his shot over from the rebound.

Milligan made it 4-0 on the hour when his free kick from 22 yards ballooned off the defensive wall and into the net. Both Foster and Allen went close before Milligan struck again on 72 minutes with number five that the keeper could only deflect in via the post. Five minutes from time Taylor hit the bar and two minutes later Foster rounded things off with a fierce volley from 12 yards.

This was an impressive performance by Fleetwood and another healthy crowd went home well satisfied.

FTFC Squad: Danny Hurst, Phil Robinson, Shaun Gray, Martin Moran, Johnathan Smith, Guy Heffernan, Michael Brown, Jez Fitzgerald (C), Andy Bell, Alex Taylor, Liam Maloney, Jamie Milligan, Steve Foster, Richie Allen, Nathan Pond, Mark Davis and Paul Haddow.

LCFC Squad: James Brindle, Paul Rigby, Neil Marshall, Ian Swann (C), Chris Lyson, James Love, Tom Entwistle, Arron Helliwell, Ian Stevens, Leon Gierke, Ben Havey. Danny Barnes, Jamie Durnan, Craig Dennis, Pat Staunton, Carl Waters and S Greenwood.

Officials: Ian Rose (Referee), Phil Morley and Neil Smith