Fleetwood Town’s Under 23s were back in action on Tuesday afternoon as they beat National League side FC Halifax Town 4-1 at Poolfoot Farm.
Stephen Crainey’s side played with confidence in the friendly against The Shaymen at the club’s training ground – with Ged Garner grabbing himself a hat-trick and Shayden Morris scoring the other goal on the day.
Town got off to a great start as Garner picked up the ball in the middle of the pitch, drove forwards, before playing it out wide to Laurence Smith, who cuts inside, played it back to Garner who struck the ball home from 20-yards.
Fleetwood doubled their lead four minutes after as Garner played a brilliant one-two with Harvey Saunders on the edge of the Halifax box, then spotted the run of Morris, who smashed the ball past the goalkeeper.
It was made 3-0 just before half-time as Garner played a delicate chipped through ball for Saunders to chase, with the former getting fouled in the box before he could get his shot off. Garner stepped up to the spot and made it three before the break.
The visitors pulled on back two minutes into the second half as a through ball found Halifax’s number 10, who lofted the ball over a defender, laying it off to his fellow forward who half-volleyed the ball home.
Just before the hour mark, Garner finished off his hat-trick. After a driving run from Carl Johnston, he played a one-two with the Garner before the latter turned towards goal and struck the ball into the back of the net.
The Under 23s then made five changes, getting minutes into the legs off other players, and played out the rest of the game which finished 4-1 to the Cod Army.
Town XI: Czajor (GK), Smith (Bird 78’), Holgate (Patterson 78’), Clarke, Rydel, Matete (Edwards 60’), Raffie, Johnston, Saunders (Hayes 78’), Garner (Collins 78’), S.Morris.