Comfortable home win enough to make it 17 unbeaten
Fleetwood Town made it 17 games unbeaten after an outstanding 3-0 win over Northampton Town at Highbury.
Devante Cole opened the scoring late on in the first half, before a dominant performance in the second half led to two more goals, coming from a Bobby Grant strike and a David Ball chip meaning Fleetwood are now third in Sky Bet League One.
Town made one change to the side that beat Milton Keynes Dons last week as Ball came in for Cameron Brannagan. Northampton also made one change to the side that drew against Southend United as Hiram Boateng was replaced by Keshi Anderson.
minute as a poor header from Cian Bolger landed at the feet of Marc Richards. He threaded the ball through to Michael Smith but his shot was pushed onto the bar by Alex Cairns.thThe first chance of the game came in the 10
The visitors carried on the pressure as they worked up another chance five minutes later. Anderson’s through ball bounced its way through the Town back line towards Richards but Cairns produced a brilliant diving save denying him.
minute, for George Glendon and Grant, but both were blocked by rushing defenders.thTown fought their way back into the game as the created a couple of chances in the 20
Both sides tested each other in the middle of the park until Northampton had a chance to take the lead as Taylor tried his luck from a 30-yard free-kick which almost found the inside of the side netting, but Cairns had it covered.
Fleetwood broke the deadlock with the last chance of the half as Cole found the ball in the visitors box, took it round the ‘keeper and although his first attempt was blocked off the line, his second flew into the net giving Town the lead.
Town were on top in the opening stages of the second half creating multiple goal scoring chances. Ball had the first as his right-footed strike went just wide of the post before Bolger’s header from a corner went just over the bar.
Ten minutes into the half, Grant doubled Town’s lead as he dribbled pat a couple of defenders and put his un-favoured right foot through the ball, powering it into the goal past the rushing Smith. A superb goal.
Fleetwood made it three on the hour mark as a long ball from the back was pounced on by Ball, who left his defenders on the ground, and he ran into the box chipping the ball over the ‘keeper, getting hit on the way.
The game turned into a battle in the middle of the pitch for the next 15 minutes as Northampton tried to push their way back into the game by changing their tactics, bringing Boateng and Paul Anderson but chances were still hard to come by.
minute as Matthew Taylor’s shot was saved by a diving Cairns.stNorthampton desperately attempted to get a goal and they came close in the 81
The last chance of the game fell to Northampton just a minute later as substitute Boateng, tried a curled shot from the right wing but it went just wide.
FTFC:Alex Cairns; Conor McLaughlin, Ashley Eastham, Cian Bolger, Ben Davies, Amari’i Bell; Bobby Grant, George Glendon (Victor Nirennold, 66’), Kyle Dempsey (Cameron Brannagan, 80‘); David Ball, Devante Cole (Ashley Hunter, 70‘).
SUBS:Chris Neal, Godswill Ekpolo, Markus Schwabl, Joe Maguire.
NTFC:Adam Smith; Neal Eardley, Zander Diamond, Lewin Nyatanga, David Buchanan; Gregg Wylde (Hiram Boateng, 60’), John-Joe O’Toole, Matthew Taylor (Jak McCourt, 81’), Keshi Anderson; Marc Richards (Paul Anderson, 64’), Michael Smith.
SUBS:David Cornell, Gabriel Zakuani, Harry Beautyman, Aaron Phillips.
REFEREE:Andy Haines
ASS. OFFICIALS:).thMichael Denton, Kevin Mulraine, Richard Bartlett (4
ATTENDANCE:3,361 w/ 428 travelling Northampton Town supporters.