Development Squad triumph over Wigan at Poolfoot Farm
Two goals in the opening eight minutes of the second half from Alex Jakubiak and Nick Haughton sealed a 2-0 victory over Wigan Athletic at Poolfoot Farm.
The Cod Army Development Squad beat a strong Latics side in their first match of the Central Development League Cup.
Town dominated the opening minutes and were denied a penalty when Haughton was challenged in the box but the referee waved play on. Minutes later, it took heroics from visiting goalkeeper Theo Roberts to deny the Cod Army. Roberts parried Dion Charles strike from distance, which fell to Jakubiak, but Roberts again picked himself up to turn his effort behind brilliantly.
It was then Wigan’s turn to press. A fine run down the right from Alex Lingard saw his ball met by Sam Cosgrove, whose header was narrowly over.
Fleetwood began to turn the screw again as George Glendon connected to Martyn Woolford’s free kick, but his ball couldn’t find its way through a series of bodies. Minutes before half time it was Jack Sowerby’s go to test Roberts, but again the young stopper performed the acrobatics to deny the opening goal.
It took just thirty seconds of the second half for the game to burst into life as Haughton broke free down the wing. His high cross was pushed away by Roberts, but only as far as Jakubiak who had an easy finish. The on-loan Watford striker’s first goal for the Club.
The lead soon doubled as scorer and provider of the first goal switched roles. Jakubiak, who was causing plenty of problems for the Latics defence, found the perfect cross for the waiting birthday boy Haughton, who gifted himself a well-earned goal from ten yards.
In a pulsating ten minutes it could have been 3-0, with almost a replica move of the second goal. This time it was Michael Duckworth who provided the final ball with the meddling Jakubiak denied by Roberts.
The introduction of substitution Keano Deacon posed a problem for a lackluster Wigan defence, with the winger coming closest to extending Fleetwood’s two-goal advantage.
Town stopper Alex Cairns pulled off fine saves from Josh Gregory and Danny O’Brien before Luke Burke had one effort from 20 yards, but both sides cancelled each other out to the end.