Manager delighted to see Cod Army reach Play-Off final
Manager Graham Alexander was delighted to reach the Sky Bet League 2 Play-Off Final following a 1-0 win on aggregate over York City in the semi-final clash.
The Cod Army reached Wembley thanks to Matty Blair’s second-half goal in the first leg at Bootham Crescent, before holding on for a goalless draw in the return fixture at Highbury.
And Alexander felt his deserved the win over two legs, particularly after a league season which saw them just miss out on automatic promotion in fourth.
“I think we deserve to go to the final because we were the fourth-placed team in the league,” said Alexander.
“We’ve earned it over 180 minutes against York as well.
"The fans were fantastic. It was a special tonight, they were willing the team on with every touch and throw in. As a lad playing football these are the kind of moments you want to be involved in."
It was a tense contest for Fleetwood against the Minstermen at Highbury, with Nigel Worthington’s side fighting for a leveller in the tie throughout the evening.
Alexander was wary of York’s threat, with the Minstermen having been on a 17-game unbeaten run before their defeat to Town in the first leg, but thought his side’s work rate carried them through.
“For a 0-0 it was end to end and a proper play-off game, and York made it hard for us,” said Alexander.
“We knew they were a good team. They were in the play-offs for a reason. They put us under pressure.
“I thought the work rate of all the players when it came down to the crunch was fantastic.”
The Cod Army will now prepare for the Wembley final which could see them reach the third tier of English Football, League One, for the first time in their history.
But despite the occasion, Alexander insists Town will continue to do their usual thing in preparation for the final game of their League Two season.
“We do our normal stuff,” he said.
“We have to focus on the actual game and not the occasion and what it could possibly lead to.
“The boys will recover and we’ll get down to work next week.”
The club will be announcing ticket details for the Play-Off final tomorrow at 11am.