Fleetwood Town managed to pick up all three points on Saturday afternoon after beating Bristol Rovers 4-1 in blustery conditions.
Callum Camps opened the scoring early on with a barnstorming free-kick from range, with Paddy Madden doubling the sides lead just before the half, beating Jordi van Stappershoef in the process. Josh Grant pulled one back for the home side, but it wasn’t enough to forge a comeback for The Gas.
The first chance of the game came from a Fleetwood attack as Wes Burns played the ball back to Paul Coutts, who whipped a cross into the box, which was cleared only to Charlie Mulgrew, but his drilled effort went just wide of the near post.
Soon after, Sam Finley played the ball to Mulgrew, who was rushing forwards. He stopped his run to cross the ball into a packed Bristol box where Madden could only head wide of the target.
Bristol had their first chance of the game in the 27th minute as the ball was passed into the box towards Brandon Hanlan, who gave it to Erhun Oztumer on the edge, but his strike was easily blocked and cleared.
The home side had another a few minutes later as a stray ball found its way to Oztumer 18-yards out, he dribbled the played in Luke McCormick who struck the ball straight at Jayson Leutwiler.
Town broke the deadlock on the half-hour mark as Camps stood over a free-kick from 30-yards, tried his luck, with his effort flying into the top corner.
Joey Barton’s side made it two five minutes before the half as Callum Connolly got on the end of a deep cross, heading it into some space inside the Bristol Box, where Madden controlled the ball and drove his strike past Jordi van Stappershoef.
It was close to being three in the next attack as Josh Morris beat the offside trap before switching the ball to Wes Burns on the right. He spotted the run of Madden through the middle, but the Irishman couldn’t quite guide his pass in.
Bristol came out after the break looking to attack and they did that two minutes in as Hanlan cut inside, played the ball to Zain Westbrooke whose shot was punched away by Leutwiler.
Van Stappershoef was called into action in the 49th minute as Finley played J.Morris in, who turned well inside the box and tried to catch the goalkeeper off guard with a near-post strike but it was stopped and cleared away.
Bristol pulled one back on the hour mark as substitute Sam Nicholson drove at the Fleetwood defence, playing a one-two with Hanlan before feeding Grant, who placed it into the back of the net.
The game played majorly in the middle of the park for the next 20 minutes, with both sides trying to get control of the ball, even with non-favourable weather conditions.
Camps confirmed his brace in the 81st minute as he found a yard of space and bent his strike perfectly into the top corner of the Bristol goal, making it unsavable for the home side’s goalkeeper.
Substitute Ched Evans made it four when he was brought down in the Bristol box, earning the Cod Army a penalty. He then stepped up and sent the goalkeeper the wrong way, placing it in the bottom right corner.
Gas XI: Van Stappershoef (GK), Grant, Ehmer (C), Westbrooke, Hanlan, McCormick (Nicholson 45’), Hare (Daly 45’), Harries, Baldwin, Oztumer, Koiki (Tutonda 75’).
Subs not used: Armstrong (GK), Kilgour, Upson, Mitchell-Lawson.
Town XI: Leutwiler (GK), Edwards (Hill 45’), Andrew, Connolly, Burns, Camps, J.Morris (Evans 69’), Mulgrew, Coutts (C), Madden, Finley (Rossiter 69’).
Subs not used: Cairns (GK), Whelan, McKay, S.Morris.