Fleetwood Town walked away 4-1 winners over Leicester City Under-21s at Highbury with Callum Morton scoring a perfect hat-trick on the night.
Morton netted his first goal not long after the start with his right, then his second with his left at the end of the first half, and finally completed his hat-trick after the restart with his head to complete his hat-trick against the Foxes. Ryan Edmondson added a fourth later on, with Jacob Wakeling scoring a consolation late on in the game for the visitors.
With the first chance of the game, Fleetwood managed to take the lead as Morton managed to pounce on a defensive error, round the goalkeeper, and calmly place the ball into the back of the net.
Just before the 15-minute mark, Leicester had a chance of their own with Lewis Brunt picking up a loose cross on the edge of the Fleetwood box, with his ambitious first-time volley going well wide of Billy Crellin’s far post.
Five minutes later, Town came close to doubling their lead as Anthony Pilkington played a perfect free-kick onto the head of Edmondson, who was waiting in the Leicester box, but his header went just past the post,
On the half-hour mark, Fleetwood made two brilliant chances from range as Pilkington played Matete into some space before the latter struck a venomous strike towards goal, hitting the bar. Pilkington was there for the rebound on the edge of the box, but his effort went just wide.
Two minutes after that, Max Clark was played through with the goal in his sights, but good tracking back from the Leicester defence forced him to cut inside, leading to his shot getting blocked and cleared.
The visitors had a chance in the 37th minute after Jay Matete fouled Thanawat Suengchitthawon 25-yards out. Jacob Wakeling tried his luck from the set-piece, but his strike went straight into the jumping wall.
Seconds later, Fleetwood hit the crossbar for the second time in the game as Morton worked the ball forward, with the help of Pilkington, before unleashing a driven strike on goal, which hit the bar.
It wasn’t much longer Town had to wait before extending their lead as Morton found himself inside the opposition box, on his left foot, and calmly passed the ball into the bottom-right, making the game 2-0 before the break.
Soon after the break, Fleetwood made it three, and so did Morton, who completed his perfect hat-trick on the night. A cross was whipped in from the left, aimed at the forward, who nodded the ball past Brad Young from six yards.
James Hill could have found himself on the score sheet ten minutes later as Pilkington played a free-kick into a packed Leicester box, after a Harvey Godshark Ford foul on Ryan Edmondson. He found Hill in the box, whose header went just wide of the far post.
On the hour mark, Edmondson got his name on the score sheet as he made it four goals to the good for the Cod Army, after rising highest to meet Clark’s cross from the left, nodding it home.
The game was well-contested in the middle of the park for the next 15 minutes, with only two half-chances coming from the visitors, with neither troubling Crellin in the Fleetwood sticks, before Wakeling was able to convert a scrambling chance from inside the Town area.
To finish off the cup tie, Leicester managed to create two half-chances around the edge of the Town area, but they were blocked by Harrison Biggins and Harrison Holgate respectively.
Town XI: Crellin (GK), D.Johnson (Garner 72’), Morton (Hayes 59’), Camps (C) (Biggins 72’), Pilkington (Morris 84'), Edmondson, Holgate, Matete, Hill, C.Johnson, Clark.
Subs not used: Wright (GK), Rossiter, Teale.
Leicester XI: Young (GK), Daley Campbell, Hulme, Suengchitthawon (Alves 75’), McAteer (Pennant 70’), Wakeling, Hughes, Maswanhise (Madivadua 80’), Nelson, Fitzhugh (Godshark Ford 46’), Brunt.
Subs not used: Odunze (GK), Wormleighton, Booth.
Attendance: 566