Fleetwood Town 2-0 Morecambe
Fleetwood Town progressed to the JPT Northern Area final this evening as they beat local rivals Morecambe at Highbury Stadium.Substitute David Ball put the Cod Army in front midway through the second half, as he flicked Jimmy Ryan’s low cross past keeper Tony Thompson.
Ryan himself got on the scoresheet with a quarter of an hour remaining, as he converted from inside the box after Bobby Grant had played him in.
Manager Steven Pressley made only the one change to his team for the game, with Grant replacing David Ball in the frontline.
Grant went the closest during the opening exchanges, when his curling effort from the right went just past Thompson’s far post.
And Town’s top scorer went mightily close to opening the scoring soon after, as he drove upfield before firing an effort wide of goal from the edge of the box.
For the visitors, Aaron Wildig’s dangerous free kick into the area was cleared bravely by Amari’i Bell who defended well.
Thompson then had to be alert to keep out David Henen, who worked space for himself on the left and shot at goal only to be denied by the keeper’s fingertips.
Some neat interplay involving Henen and Sarcevic almost brought the first goal, with the latter’s effort deflecting just over the bar.
Grant was Town’s brightest spark in front of goal, and his poked strike just before the break crept narrowly wide of Thompson’s post.
The visitors pressured at the start of the second period, and had an effort cleared off the line as Shaun Beeley’s throw in caused havoc in the wind.
At the other end, central defender Joe Davis rose highest to meet Grant’s corner on the hour mark, but he headed onto the roof of the net.
Substitute Ball then made an immediate impression by putting his side ahead in the 64th minute as he flicked Ryan’s low cross past Thompson.
Town quickly looked to double the advantage through Henen, but his low strike was saved well by the feet of the shop stopper.
Ball looked a real threat in front of goal, and later latched onto Grant’s neat pass before forcing Thompson into a smart stop at his near post.
Ryan added a second for the home side with 15 minutes left, as he converted from inside the box after Grant had played him in.
On-loan Everton man Henen very nearly made it three late on as he cut in from the right and shot just wide of the goal with a fierce strike.
The Cod Army will now face Barnsley over two legs in the Northern Area Final, whilst the Southern Area Final will be contested between Millwall and Oxford United.