Fleetwood Town youth players are through to the quarter-finals of the Northern Section Youth Alliance Cup following a 4-3 win at Preston North End.
By Sam Gilliland Fleetwood Town youth players are through to the quarter-finals of the Northern Section Youth Alliance Cup following a 4-3 win at Preston North End.
The young Cod Army threw away a 2-0 lead in the first half, but showed great character to overturn a 3-2 deficit in the second.
Defender James Cairns (
pic) popped up with the winner for Town in the 67th minute, after both sides had played out yet another close encounter.
Fleetwood started the stronger of the two sides, and should have taken the lead inside the opening ten minutes.
Keano Deacon forced a smart save from North End keeper Steve James at his near post, before Cairns headed wide from the resulting corner.
Deacon did play his part in the opening goal however, as Town took the lead in the 12th minute.
His cross field pass found Jamie Allen on the right of the area, who went round the oncoming keeper before pulling it back to Jake Parker for a tap in.
Fleetwood then went on to score a second only four minutes later, as Lanre Olapade robbed Nick Anderton of the ball in his own half, before squaring to Tom Peterson for a six yard finish.
The young Cod Army should have scored more before the half hour, so Preston made them pay in the 29th minute.
Lilywhites striker Brandon Zibaka fed winger Matt Greenwood on the right, who beat Liam Fitzsimmons before firing into the roof of the visitors net.
Zibaka then went close to scoring himself but for a great reaction stop by Cod keeper Oliver Martin.
He did, however, pull North End level on 41 minutes, when Adam Thurston’s through ball found him one-on-one in an offside position, though the flag stayed down as he rounded the keeper to tap home for 2-2.
Preston continued to push from the start of the second half, and produced a well worked goal in the 50th minute.
Anderton was able to burst down the left wing before picking out Zibaka at the near post, who got across his marker and fired the home side ahead on the half volley.
Town took the blow well and fired back themselves with less than an hour gone, when Richard Wright played one over the top for Parker behind the Preston defence, who went on to find the far corner of the North End net.
Fleetwood’s Nathan Parrish picked up an unfortunate booking for the slightest of trips, as Town continued to take the game to their opponents.
And on 68 minutes they scored the match winner. Parker whipped a free kick from the left into the Lilywhites area, where Cairns was on hand to bundle the ball into the back of the net.
Preston went looking for the equaliser and almost found it in added time, when Ryan Croasdale’s shot was blocked by Martin, before the final whistle went.
The win will feel well deserved for Fleetwood, with it being their first win against the league leaders this season.
They will travel away to Morecambe next on December 8th for an 11am kick off in the Football League Youth Alliance.
