Mooney brace seals three points
Dan Mooney’s brace helped Fleetwood Town under 18’s to a 3-1 win over Carlisle United in the North West Youth Alliance League on Saturday.
Following a tight first half with few chances at Poolfoot Farm, Mooney popped up with a fine volley from a corner to give Town the lead at the break.
The lively forward doubled the advantage half way through the second period but Nathan Rooney’s side were pegged back immediately as the Cumbrians set up a grandstand finish.
Into added time as the visitors pushed forward, Mooney was again at the heart of a Fleetwood counter attack and saw his cross sliced into the net by a Carlisle defender, to give Town a deserved 3-1 victory.
After a scrappy opening, the first moment of quality came in the 10th minute when Gerard Garner cut inside and saw his goal bound shot deflected wide.
Moments later, excellent pressing from Jack Bishop created panic in the Carlisle defence, and the goalkeeper’s rushed clearance was played against him and almost deflected into the top corner.
Town had the ball in the back of the net in the 18th minute but Mooney was adjudged to be offside after a smart finish into the bottom corner.
It was then the visitor’s turn to apply the pressure; Harry Turner was forced into a good one on one reaction save after a ball deep into the box, before a free header was glanced just over the bar from the resulting corner.
As the half time whistle approached, Mooney tested the visiting ‘keeper from distance, who just managed to tip his shot over the bar, but from the corner that he won Mooney gave his side the lead with a stunning volley into the top corner.
The home side started the second half with the bit between their teeth and went close following a powerful run by Dom Kerrigan, who pulled a ball back for Ryan Rydel but the full back couldn’t keep his shot down.
In the 56th minute Kerrigan went driving down the right side again and this time decided to unleash a shot of his own. It was well saved by the Carlisle goalkeeper.
Box-to-box midfielder Alex Dodd set another Fleetwood attack in motion on the hour mark, playing in Garner who was denied by a good save at the back post.
The pressure finally told in the 76th minute when Mooney received the ball and spotted the goalkeeper off his line, before calmly dinking the ball over his head with the inside of his foot to double Town’s advantage.
The visitors were brought to life after conceding the second and reduced the deficit immediately, when a crisp move was rounded off with a low shot that was slammed into the bottom corner.
After dealing well with the Carlisle pressure, Town hit them with a counter attack in the dying seconds. Mooney whipped a searching ball into the box, which was put beyond the goalkeeper by a Carlisle defender, putting gloss on the score line for Nathan Rooney’s men.
Fleetwood: Turner (GK); Unsworth, Baines (c), Holgate, Kerrigan, Rydel, Collings, Dodd, Bishop, Garner, Mooney.
Subs: Clayton, Finlayson, O’Halleran, Cooke, Hill.