1 | Kieran Walmsley stretches for a cross.
2 | Walmsley looks for the return from Andy Bell.
3 | The second half, and the Cod Army head for the stand.
4 | Nathan Pond gets the call as Danny Hurst claims the cross (edited version below).
5 | Mascots Roan and Ben Stubbs with Skipper Jamie Milligan.
 

A very warm welcome to our Yorkshire opponents from Guiseley this afternoon for only their second ever league visit to the Theatre of Cods. We need to avenge the surprise 2-1 defeat that they inflicted on us in January last year. Andy Bell put us in front but we then allowed ten man Guiseley to gain the initiative and, unfortunately, take home all three points. I hope that we can repeat our performance from December at Nethermoor when we were absolutely breathtaking in the first half and should have scored five or six, but had to settle for two in the end, courtesy of Peter Wright and Andy Bell. Jerome Watt impressed in that game, which was his third, and his first away from home. 

The first half last week against Prescot was very entertaining and enjoyable and we could have doubled our score with a bit of luck. Prescot tried to pull it round in the second half but Danny Hurst and his defence stood firm and completed four clean sheets in a row. It was nice to see Pondy score his sixth of the season, all in the league too so really vital goals. Phil Denney’s strike edged him in front of Andy Bell 11 to 10 after that game, but Milly was still leading the pack on fifteen, including nine penalties. Talking of which it’s about time the man in black pointed to the spot for Fleetwood. We have had some really good penalty shouts turned down in recent weeks but maybe our luck will change in the near future. 

After Good Friday came Even Better Monday! Nobody ever expected to see Town play the league leaders completely off the park in the way that they did. I thought that we might nick one and then hang on by our fingernails, or what was left of them, but we started on top and never looked back. Andy Bell’s pounce just after the half hour put him back on level terms with Phil Denney on eleven goals apiece and Milly’s clincher kept him well on top with sweet sixteen! Kieran Walmsley is creeping up on the blindside after scoring his eighth, what an exciting player he is, and we have now scored a total of ninety goals so far this season. Also, we have not conceded a goal for seven hours and 48 minutes, surely a Fleetwood record. 

When you compare the top five positions with last year’s table around the same time you can see just how Witton have run away with the league so far. Change the years and Fleetwood would have been five points clear with two games in hand over Telford who, unlike Witton, did have the odd bad spell!

Away days are always good fun, but Monday’s affair was something else! Another golden memory that I will look back on in years to come with a wry smile. I see that the bookies got it all wrong yesterday but I am sure that no true Fleetwood fan would have have put money on Witton to win although I did hear the odd rumour – no surely not!

No complaints about British Rail yesterday either as they gave us a seamless journey there and back via Piccadilly. The police were busy picking up double time and, no doubt, a days holiday in lieu, for no reason at all. Even their riot van was late as we saw it pulling into Northwich station as we were turning into the first local hostelry. No wonder my council tax is so high! The whole day was really good natured and both teams and supporters deserve a big pat on the back. The game was as clean as any you would see and the three officials helped to make it a great advertisement for non league football. Now that is a rarity isn’t it! Well done too to Mike and his team of unofficial caterers for feeding the five thousand, well four hundred! Thanks also to John Pryers for stopping and stuffing as many cods as possible into the back of his transit van en route to the game. It was a fair hike but we were walking on air on the way back! It was very funny on the last leg of the return to find supporters of FC United (who won in the 87th minute) and Lancaster City (who lost in the last minute) in the same carriage as ourselves. Well you can imagine the banter but the really funny moment came when the FC United fans were asked, on purpose, who they were playing next. They hadn’t a clue, it says it all!

Eighty one senior goals have been scored so far at Highbury since August, 55 to 26 in our favour, with the Percy Ronson continuing to be the most popular for friend and foe alike. If that continues it will be the fourth year in succession that the Park End has failed. Mind you I have only been observing that statistic for four years and it could be a coincidence but the prevailing wind may well have something to do with it.

So after all that we still have a mountain to climb with an evening visit to Silverlands coming up on Tuesday. That must be one of the most pleasant sounding ground’s name in the area. I am looking forward to the visit as I have never been there before. We host the return just eleven days later and I wonder if we might see them again two weeks after that? With eight games left who knows but we just have to go for it and try to collect at least ninety points to have a chance of the title. It is a tall order but if we can remain consistent, hold our nerve and have faith in the team we can realise the promotion dream.
 

Fleetwood Town were looking to continue their impressive March form by taking all three points from play-off hopefuls Guiseley. Town's run of five wins and a draw this month included the impressive 3-0 win at leaders Witton Albion on Easter Monday. Over the same period, Guiseley went into their eighth league game with a tally of two wins, one defeat and four draws.  The visitors played-out a below par goalless draw at home with Hednesford Town on Bank Holiday Monday.  Warren Beattie continues his recovery from the facial injury he picked-up at Marine four weeks ago.  Shaun Beeley passed a late fitness test on a toe injury.  Guiseley welcomed deadline signing Lee Crooks into the side. Crooks, who signed from Rochdale, brings experience from Manchester City and Bradford City. Fleetwood out-played Guiseley in the corresponding fixture in West Yorkshire during December, securing a 2-0 victory with goals from Peter Wright and Andy Bell. 

A downpour since mid morning resulted in a heavy pitch, which did not improve throughout the game. Fleetwood did start the brighter, with Jerome Watt threatening down the left wing from the start. Andy Bell set up Watt in the opening minutes only for the shot to be sent woefully wide. Guiseley soon showed their ability going forward with Town being forced to defend in depth. The wet conditions meant both keepers would be forced to punch clear rather than risk taking hold of a slippery ball. Indeed, a Guiseley corner on ten minutes forced Danny Hurst into an unconvincing punch to clear Jonathan Fernandez’s effort. Fleetwood pushed forward with Watt again shooting wide and Kieran Walmsley having a cross cleared by Dave Merris.

The visitors took a surprise lead on sixteen minutes through James Hanson. A counter attack followed a Fleetwood corner and Danny Hurst could only deflect a cross shot against Hanson and into the goal. Hurst redeemed himself a few minutes later when he made a sliding save on the increasingly greasy surface when Sean Taylforth moved in on goal. Fleetwood continued to threaten with Phil Denney going close on a number of occasions.  The pressure was rewarded on the half hour mark when Jerome Watt equalised with an angled cross which deceived keeper Piotr Skiba and ended in the Guiseley goal. Kieran Walmsley and Jamie Milligan were needed in defence as the visitor’s increased their forward moves.  Andy Bell put Fleetwood ahead just before the break when he rounded the stranded Skiba and slotted the ball home. 

Guiseley sneaked a share of the points in the closing minutes as two of the division’s play-off hopefuls defied wind, rain and a quagmire of a pitch to provide an enthralling end-to-end contest for an impressive crowd of 646. Fleetwood, of course, still entertain hopes of overhauling Witton Albion for the automatic promotion spot, and they came into this game on the back of a tremendous 3-0 win at Wincham Park. But Guiseley themselves possess an excellent recent record on the road and they were buoyed by the inclusion of Lee Crooks, their new signing from Rochdale, who became the 38th player to pull on the Lions’ shirt this season. Sean Taylforth made his first start on the left in a midfield bravely containing two genuine wingers.

The home side were first to show, Jerome Watt sending a hopeful cross over Piőtr Skiba’s bar.  After eight minutes Aron Wilford, restored up front, broke into the Fleetwood box to earn Guiseley’s opening corner and Jonathan Fernandez’s testing kick was cleared with difficulty. Watts struck a shot wide and Kieran Walmsley’s cross was nodded to safety by Dave Merris, but in the sixteenth minute the visitors took a surprise lead.  As the play broke from a Fleetwood corner Wilford sent Taylforth away down the wing, and when Danny Hurst could only parry his shot the ball cannoned back into the net.  The announcer, and the UniBond website, credited the goal to James Hanson, and let’s just say that neither he nor Fleetwood defender Phil Robinson is likely to argue. A minute later a neat through ball from Wilford saw Hurst out quickly to clear, then a Hanson foray down the left won a corner. Fleetwood, however, were finding space behind the visitors’ back four and former Guiseley man Phil Denney beat Danny Ellis for speed only to hit wide. Then Walmsley struck a cross out of play before his long free kick found Denney on the far post, a chance the striker could only head harmlessly over.

Fleetwood were beginning to show their mettle, and with the wind becoming stronger Guiseley found their goal under increasing pressure. Skiba clawed one deep corner away and flicked another out of danger before foiling Bell with a superb diving catch.  It couldn’t last, and almost on the half hour a long diagonal ball found Watt in space on the Fleetwood left and as Nathan Hay moved to close him down he unleashed a cross-cum-shot that dipped viciously in at the far post. Guiseley fought back, and a succession of corners - dropped expertly under the bar by Taylforth and Fernandez - had Fleetwood scurrying.  Jamie Milligan was on hand to head away at the far post, Robinson cleared off the line, Simon Sturdy nodded high and a Crooks effort was diverted over by Shaun Beeley.  When the home side broke, Skiba had to be alert to deal with more probing crosses. Another determined run by Taylforth led to Wilford’s teeing up Crooks for an unproductive twenty-five yarder, but five minutes from the interval Fleetwood went in front.  As Guiseley reorganized after Lee Pugh replaced the injured Fernandez, their concentration seemed to waiver. Bell was allowed to burst through and, with Skiba in no-man’s-land, he slid the ball in from an acute angle.

The second half saw no let-up in the frenetic pace; when Ellis and Denney tangled, the latter’s shot was blocked by Skiba and Walmsley turned the rebound wide.  Then a Taylforth cross skidded across the goalmouth mud with no takers, Wilford headed Crooks’s free kick narrowly wide, and after Taylforth lost the ball Skiba had to be out smartly at the feet of Bell. Fleetwood continued to pepper Guiseley’s goal with crosses and set pieces - Walmsley was proving a master - but Skiba and his defenders held firm. The Lancastrians introduced all their subs at ten-minute intervals, Moran, Reid and Mercer replacing Denney, Watt and Milligan, while Guiseley brought on Damian Dunne for Richard Dunning, who had run himself ragged on the clinging surface. Hanson found himself rather unluckily in the book for a determined challenge on the halfway line, and there was a spot of ‘handbagging’ in the home box as four players contested a blade of grass, but it had been a sporting if wholehearted afternoon and there was more action to come.

As the game moved into its closing stages, Hanson and Wilford combined to force a corner and it proved to be the first of several dropped on the proverbial sixpence by Taylforth. Hurst turned one over the bar, Hanson’s presence forced a wild clearance and with the Guiseley midfield mopping up everything Fleetwood were finding themselves penned in their own box.  With only two minutes left another deep Taylforth corner was cleared, the ball was worked back to the youngster at the corner of the area and he steered a low shot in via the inside of the near post.  And that was that, as both sides seemed content to play the clock down. Result apart, there were plenty of plus points today.  Hanson was back to his best, winning most of the aerial challenges and linking well with the impressive Wilford. On the debit side, the triangle between Ellis, Sturdy and Skiba occasionally looked uncertain. As for the new boys, Merris was solid and intelligent, Crooks could well be the midfield battler we’ve lacked and Taylforth, though seeming rather lightweight at times, looks likely to ask a lot of questions down the left. So, once again, Guiseley saved their best for the travelling fans in a meeting of two good sides on their game and keen to play football. If tonight’s League positions are the same come the end of April, this fixture will be repeated as a play-off semi-final, and on today’s evidence it’ll be well worth travelling to see.

Having lost their unbeaten home record on Easter Monday Premier Division leaders WITTON ALBION made bottom club LINCOLN UNITED suffer on Saturday as they hit six past their visitors without reply. The Division’s leading goalscorer Adam Warlow helped himself to a hat-trick and Albion’s joy was compounded when nearest challengers FLEETWOOD TOWN were held to a home draw by fifth place GUISELEY to leave the Lancashire club ten points adrift albeit with three games in hand. GATESHEAD consolidated third place with a third win on the bounce their victims this time being MATLOCK TOWN. Two defeats in a week with six goals conceded and none scored have left League Cup finalists and last season’s First Division play-off winners EASTWOOD TOWN in danger of missing out on the top tier’s play-offs. Saturday’s home loss to fellow play-off rivals BUXTON was a particular blow. At the opposite end it is a real dog-fight with OSSETT TOWN, FRICKLEY ATHLETIC and MATLOCK TOWN in 11th, 12th and 13th only five points off the relegation slots from which WHITBY TOWN did themselves a big favour with a 4-1 win at home to WORKSOP TOWN. NORTH FERRIBY UNITED must wonder what they have to do to get out of the drop zone as they still sit below the line despite an excellent 4-2 win away at ILKESTON TOWN. Next to bottom LEEK TOWN gave themselves hope with a 1-0 win over Ossett Town whilst other contenders for the drop ASHTON UNITED and KENDAL TOWN battled out a 2-2 draw.

FleetwoodTownFC.com || Match Archives 07/08