Preview: Fleetwood Town v Peterborough United

1 April 2021

Fleetwood Town face Peterborough United on Friday 2 April at Highbury Stadium in Sky Bet League One, and we have all you need to know ahead of the 3pm kick-off in our match preview.

Fixture: Fleetwood Town v Peterborough United

Competition: Sky Bet League One

Date: Friday 2 April 2021

Kick-off: 15:00

Venue: Highbury Stadium, Park Avenue, Fleetwood, FY7 6TX

Match officials: Benjamin Speedie (Referee), Gareth Mellor & Paul Stonier (Assistant Referees), Graham Salisbury (Fourth Official)

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FLEETWOOD TOWN

The Cod Army are looking to get back to winning ways after two weeks without a game, with their last outing ending in a loss to John Sheridan’s Swindon Town at Highbury last month.

The Robins opened the scoring with the first shot of the game as Scott Twine found the back of the net just four minutes into the game. Swindon’s number ten doubled the lead midway through the second half, with Ged Garner missing the best chance for Fleetwood in the game.

In the game before that, Fleetwood managed to overcome play-off chasing side, Ipswich Town, again at Highbury as they walked away 2-0 winners. Town started the game as they meant to go on as they broke the deadlock nine minutes into the game as Callum Connolly converted from James Hill’s long throw. Ged Garner made it two in the second half after finishing off a tidy counter-attack, started by fellow forward Kyle Vassell.

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PETERBOROUGH UNITED

The Posh pulled off an impressive in their last league game, which was last Saturday, as they turned over Accrington Stanley 7-0 at The Weston Homes Stadium.

The side’s top goal scorer for the season Jonson Clarke-Harris bagged himself a hat-trick in the game, with Sammie Szmodics grabbing a brace, Mo Eisa and Idris Kanu both getting one apiece as they continued scoring against the Lancashire outfit.

Earlier on that week, Peterborough saw a different fate to a different side from Lancashire as Blackpool beat them 3-1 at Bloomfield Road. Even though Joe Ward managed to cancel out a first minute penalty from Jerry Yates just before the half, a second from the striker and another one from defender Luke Garbutt settled the tie.

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ONE TO WATCH: JONSON CLARKE-HARRIS

The one to watch from The Posh is Clarke-Harris. The 26-year-old has been on form since the opening game of the season as he has managed to score 27 goals in all competitions and is currently holding the top spot in the League One golden boot race.

The man from Leicester started his career at Coventry City as a trainee but made the move to Peterborough in 2012. Even after two loan spells to Southend United and Bury, he couldn’t find his spot in the side, so he then moved on to Oldham Athletic.

Clarke-Harris then started to find his shooting boots as he scored nine goals in the one season, he spent at Boundary Park, with caught the eyes of the Rotherham United scouts, who picked him up in September 2014.

The forward spent time on loan at three different clubs whilst with Rotherham, but mainly found his form with his parent club as he managed to score more than ten goals for the side. After a loan to Coventry, they made the move permanent, which saw him spend a further six-months with the side.

A move to Bristol Rovers was next and this really kicked on his career, scoring 27 goals in his 18-month stay at The Gas. He picked up multiple Player of the Month awards, and played a crucial part in the side’s battle at the bottom of the table. With that form, he made the move to Peterborough, where he has managed to score more goals than anyone else in the league, amassing 27 goals in all competitions so far in the 2020/21 season.

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WATCH TOWN ON iFOLLOW!

Supporters can now purchase video match passes for Fleetwood Town’s Sky Bet League One clash against Peterborough United on Good Friday.

With fans still unable to attend games, the iFollow match pass is your best option to watch the Cod Army play.

Simon Grayson's side are set to host Peterborough United in a league clash at Highbury on Friday and you can watch the game for just £10!

If you'd like to purchase your match pass, click HERE.

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Match Previews

Match Reports

Report: Town narrowly lose out after late Peterborough goal

2 April 2021

Fleetwood Town narrowly lost out on Good Friday as Peterborough United scored a last-minute goal to win 1-0 at Highbury.

Both sides managed to create multiple chances throughout the game that tested both goalkeepers, but neither was able to find the back of the net on a sunny afternoon on the Fylde Coast until late on when Jonson Clarke-Harris netted a free-kick from the edge of the Fleetwood box.

The game started off at a quick pace, with the first chance falling to the visitors. Four minutes in, Jonson Clarke-Harris received the ball inside a crowded Fleetwood box, managed to turn and pull off a strike towards goal, but Alex Cairns was a match to it, making a big save in the early stages.

A couple of half-chances quickly followed as Town earned a free-kick 20-yards out, with Kyle Vassell trying his luck, but the effort hit the wall. Soon after, Peterborough were on the attack with Sammie Szmodics, who crossed the ball into Clarke-Harris but his header went wide of the target,

The next big chance was on the half-hour mark as Ged Garner did well to get between Daniel Butler and Frankie Kent on the right, before shaping up a shot on goal, which was saved by the diving Christy Pym.

With five minutes to go in the first half, the ball fell to Joran Rossiter on the edge of the Posh box and the midfielder tried an audacious volley, which was deflected into the path of Garner, but his shot was straight at the goalkeeper.

As half-time was looming, Town managed to create one last chance through Garner, as he worked half a yard and had a shot inside the opposition box, but it was deflected into the path of Burns, but his effort flew over the crossbar from close range.

Both sides came out in the second half looking to control, which meant that chances were at a premium. The first major chance of the half fell to Sam Finley 20-yards out, who powered a strike towards the Peterborough goal, but Pym managed to get his body behind it and push it wide.

A valiant defensive effort from the Fleetwood backline helped keep Peterborough away from Cairns’ goal, and even pushed the side into a counterattack as Vassell earned the side a free-kick 20-yards out. The forward dummied a run before Andrew just dragged his shot wide of the far post.

A minute later, Fleetwood came close to breaking the deadlock as Dan Batty slipped Andrew in on the left-wing, whose effort got a deflection and ends up hitting the crossbar. From the resulting corner, a couple of forwards jumped up but the Posh managed to get the ball clear.

Peterborough found the back of the net just before added time as Clarke-Harris struck a free-kick with venom from 20-yards into the bottom left corner, giving his side the lead and all three points in the game.

Town XI: Cairns (GK), Andrew, Connolly (C), Burns, Rossiter (McKay 90'), Vassell, Finley (Camps 74’), Batty, Garner (Saunders 74’), Holgate, Hill.

Subs not used: Coleman (GK), Donacien, Biggins, Rydel.

Posh XI: Pym (GK), Butler, Thompson, Beevers (C), Kent, Clarke-Harris, Brown (Taylor 61’), Reed (Hamilton 90'), Szmodics, Burrows (Dembele 61’), Ward.

Subs not used: Gyollai (GK), Eisa, Kanu, Mason.