Preview: Fleetwood Town v AFC Wimbledon

25 September 2020

Fleetwood Town face AFC Wimbledon on Saturday 26 September 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 AFC Wimbledon

Competition: Sky Bet League One

Date: Saturday 26 September 2020

Kick-off: 15:00

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

Match officials: Jeremy Simpson (Referee), Richard Wild and Mark Dwyer (Assistant Referees), Oliver Langford (Fourth Official)

Michael Salisbury.jpg

FLEETWOOD TOWN

The Cod Army head into this Sky Bet League One clash against The Wombles after facing Premier League side Everton in the third round of the Carabao Cup.

Fleetwood tested themselves against the likes of Richarlison, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Abdoulaye Doucoure and manged to score two goals past England international Jordan Pickford in the tie, with one of those goals being an overhead kick from midfielder Callum Camps.

Before that, Town were unlucky when they travelled to the Weston Homes Stadium to face Peterborough United as two injury-time goals saw The Posh take all three points in the tie, even though a Camps goal saw the Cod Army take the lead in the game.

20200923 - Everton report.jpg

AFC WIMBLEDON

The Wombles have had an unbeaten start to the 2020/21 campaign as they have managed to win both of their EFL Trophy games against Charlton Athletic and Brighton & Hove Albion U21s.

The last result for Wimbledon saw them beat Brighton 2-0, with Zach Robinson opening the scoring early on and Adam Roscrow doubling the lead from the penalty spot just before the final whistle.

Before that, The Wombles played out an eight-goal thriller at home against Plymouth Argyle. Joe Pigott managed to bag a brace in the game, with Shane McLoughlin and Ryan Longman scoring the other two goals for the side. Argyle then made a comeback late on in the game as they pulled the score back to 4-4 12 minutes from the end.

AFC Wimbledon.jpg

COACHES QUOTES AFTER EVERTON – JOEY BARTON

“I challenged the lads at half-time and said that we had been a bit to respectful of them. They picked a strong side, they are good players and if you let them play, they will show you that. So, I challenged them, I said that you aren’t here to swap jerseys at the end, we are in a cup tie here and we can rattle a few cages and get amongst them.

“I thought the lads we superb in the second half of the cup tie, they got us back in it, made a game of it, and the score line probably flatters them at the end.

“We tried to contain and hold the fort, in an attempt to make them frustrated and then we looked to add a bit of energy when we changed our system. It’s a great learning lesson, I thought the young lads acquitted themselves really well at times, tried to play some football which was pleasing and we’ll be better for that experience.”

Watch Joey’s interview on our iFollow HERE.

20200923 - Joey Barton post Everton.jpg

ONE TO WATCH – JOE PIGOTT

One to watch from AFC Wimbledon is forward, Joe Pigott. The 26-year-old signed for the club from Maidstone United in January 2018, and was the top scorer for Wimbledon last season, scoring 18 goals in all competitions.

Pigott started his playing career at Charlton Athletic, and spent time on at teams like Gillingham, Newport County and Southend United in that time. In 2016, he made the move to Cambridge United and shortly after, moved onto Maidstone United after a successful loan spell.

After that he swapped Maidstone for Wimbledon and has since made 94 appearances and has scored 29 goals in that time.

Joe Pigott.jpg

Match Previews

Match Reports

Report: Fleetwood just lose out against AFC Wimbledon

26 September 2020

Fleetwood Town finished off the month of September with a narrow 1-0 loss to AFC Wimbledon in Sky Bet League One at Highbury Stadium on Saturday.

Fleetwood started out the game the better side, creating multiple chances which troubled Wimbledon’s goalkeeper Connal Trueman, but it was Steve Seddon’s first-half strike that settled the tie just before the break.

The first chance of the game fell to the home side after just five minutes, Mark Duffy managed to find Callum Camps on the edge of the Wimbledon box, who tried his luck but his effort was pushed wide by Connal Trueman.

Just after the 20-minute mark, Paul Coutts whipped in a corner from the right, aiming towards the back of the box towards Sam Stubbs, who couldn’t quite guide his header goalwards.

Wimbledon had their first look in on goal in the 33^rd minute as the ball was played across the edge of the Fleetwood box, all the way to Alex Woodyard, but his left-footed strike at goal was easily blocked and cleared.

The away side took the lead just before the break as Joe Pigott turns in the box, plays the ball across the goal towards Seddon, who slid the ball past Alex Cairns.

Ten minutes into the second half, substitute Barrie McKay played the ball short to Josh Morris from a corner, who found Danny Andrew on the edge of the box, whose strike clattered against the crossbar.

A couple of minutes later, Andrew whipped the ball into a crowded Wimbledon box, aiming for McKay, but his header went wide of the target.

Fleetwood came so close to levelling up the game as McKay dribbled down the left-wing, played the ball into Evans who dummied a shot to Camps, but his effort was somehow pushed wide by Trueman.

Wimbledon had an attack soon after as a through ball was played to Ryan Longman, who forced a great save out of Cairns. From the subsequent corner, Luke O’Neill found Pigott who, yet again, forced Cairns into a brilliant save.

With 15 minutes to go, Morris tried a solo run from the midfield, taking the ball up to the edge of the Wimbledon box before striking the ball just over Trueman’s bar.

Town XI: Cairns (GK), Andrew, Whelan, Duffy (Matete 66’), Evans, Camps, Morris, Coutts (C) (McKay 45’), Boyes, Stubbs, Hill.

Subs not used: Leutwiler (GK), Saunders, Garner, Holgate, Rydel.

Wimbledon XI: Trueman (GK), O’Neill, Woodyard, Thomas, Oksanen, McLoughlin, Longman (Roscrow 86’), Kalambayi, Reilly, Pigott (C), Seddon.

Subs not used: Tzanev (GK), Nightingale, Alexander, Hartigan, Chislett, Guinness-Walker.