Fleetwood Town 3-1 Doncaster Rovers
Fleetwood Town maintained their unbeaten home form with a fully deserved 3-1 win against Doncaster Rovers in front of a jubilant Highbury crowd.First half goals from strike force Stephen Dobbie and Liam McAlinden, either side of a deflected Nathan Tyson effort, were added to by David Ball in the second half as Fleetwood dominated the first ever meeting between in the two sides.
Graham Alexander made four changes to the team that lost 2-1 to Colchester United last weekend. Conor McLaughlin, back from international duty, along with Nathan Pond, Dobbie and Ball all came into the side.
The outgoing party were Danny Andrew, Mark Roberts, Antoni Sarcevic and Jamie Proctor. The latter three all being named amongst the substitutes as were Jeff Hughes and Keith Southern.
Winger Hughes was named in the Fleetwood squad for the first time since his horrific injury back in January against Hartlepool United, whilst Southern was still awaiting his first team debut after sustaining an injury during pre-season.
Town were the stronger of the two sides in the opening exchanges and were duly rewarded as Dobbie netted his fourth goal of the season after 11 minutes.
Gareth Evans won the ball in the Fleetwood half and drove at the visitors’ backline before playing it wide to Ball. The former Manchester City man cut inside and shot with his effort finding its way to Dobbie who was in the right place at the right time to hand Town the lead.
However, Fleetwood's joy was short lived and Donny equalised soon afterwards. Former Cod Army loan man Tyson turned and shot from 25 yards, his strike deflected off Stephen Jordan, wrong-footing Chris Maxwell.
Paul Dickov’s men took the ascendency after drawing level and Maxwell had to be at his best to deny Richie Wellens from eight yards before the Cod Army took the lead for a second time.
McLaughlin fed Ball on the right-hand side of the penalty area; he drove in a low cross for McAlinden to grab his second in as many games from inside the six yard box.
There was one final chance for Doncaster to draw level as James Coppinger laid the ball off for Jamie McCombe but the centre-back could not wrap his foot around it as he missed the target.
After the restart the game exploded into action with both sides having great chances to score.
Town went close through Ball after Luke McCulloch had blocked a dangerous Gareth Evans cross while Doncaster were denied by a remarkable reflex save by Maxwell who stopped Tyson doubling his account.
The Cod Army’s front three, with Dobbie at the tip of the midfield diamond, were causing Donny all sorts of problems and grabbed a third with 17 minutes left to play after Ball and Dobbie had been expertly stopped.
This time, McAlinden turned provider laying the ball across the face of goal for Ball to grab a well deserved goal skilfully backheeling it into the far bottom corner.
As the clock ticked on, former Blackpool man Southern was brought on for his Fleetwood debut replacing Steven Schumacher before Maxwell was again tested saving from substitute Kyle Bennett’s free-kick from the edge of the area.
Alexander made two further changes, Proctor coming on for the lively McAlinden while Hughes made his eagerly anticipated return from injury coming on in place of Dobbie.
Town saw out the final stages of the game and now head into back to back away games with MK Dons and Preston North End.