Cambridge United 1-0 Fleetwood Town
Fleetwood Town were knocked out of the FA Cup at Cambridge United this afternoon as Kwesi Appiah’s late goal proved the difference.Appiah was played in by Robbie Simpson in the 80th minute, and the 24 year old took his goal to well net his sixth goal of the season.
Town had substitute Jamie Proctor red carded with twenty minutes remaining after he raised his arm at a home defender.
Ahead of the clash at the Abbey Stadium, manager Graham Alexander made only one change from the side that beat Gillingham in the league at Highbury last weekend.
Josh Morris was ineligible and was replaced by Steven Schumacher, who missed the win over the Gills through suspension.
The game saw Town keeper Chris Maxwell return to the club where he kept 18 clean sheets during a successful loan spell last season.
In blustery conditions, The U’s Liam Hughes drilled a free kick straight at the wall in what was the game’s first chance, as the home side began the better of the two sides.
Town responded through Jeff Hughes, though, when he headed Stephen Crainey’s floated cross onto the roof of keeper Chris Dunn’s net.
Another set-piece from Hughes found the head of Tom Naylor in the box, but he screwed wide of the post.
With the wind in their faces, Town struggled to really test Dunn during the first half, with Richard Money’s men standing firm at the back.
Kwesi Appiah spurned a decent chance from the edge of the box before the break, but neither side
did enough in front of goal during a scrappy opening 45 minutes.
The Cod Army started brightly after the interval and played with more purpose; Gareth Evans a threat down the right hand side.
Cambridge’s Tom Elliot forced a save out of Maxwell from close range, before firing wide after a lapse from defender Nathan Pond on the edge of the box.
In search of a goal, Alexander brought on striker Jamie Proctor on the hour mark to replace midfielder Keith Southern.
Proctor wasn’t to be involved for long however, as in the 71st minute he was shown a straight red card for raising an arm at a U’s defender.
The home side were buoyed by the man advantage, and Appiah’s shot was deflected over the bar, while Josh Coulson saw a header cleared off the line.
And Appiah, on-loan from Crystal Palace, gave his side the lead with ten minutes remaining, as he slotted beyond Maxwell from a swift U’s breakaway.
Town pressed in the final exchanges, and very nearly equalised through Tom Hitchcock, but the striker was denied at the front post by a fine save from Dunn.