Fleetwood Town were held to a goalless draw with Bristol Rovers at Highbury Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Town started out the better side, creating multiple chances but none that were able to get past goalkeeper Joe Day. The visitors then grew into the game, forcing a couple of saves from Alex Cairns, but he kept them out and secured another clean sheet.
The first chance of the game fell to Fleetwood as Danny Andrew’s effort from range was deflected, leading to a corner. New signing Dan Batty whipped it into the box, but Callum Connolly’s shot was saved by Day.
Town continued the pressure as Batty found Janoi Donacien on the right-wing, he drove forwards and found Paddy Madden in the middle, whose shot was saved and pushed clear. Callum Camps latched onto the loose ball but struck over.
Fleetwood certainly looked the better side in the opening stages. In the 10th minute, the Cod Army almost broke the deadlock as Donacien linked up with Madden, yet again, but the latter’s header went just wide of the near post.
Bristol R had their first attempt of the game 14 minutes in as Cairns’ clearance went straight to the oppositions attack. They played the ball to Sam Nicholson, who dragged his shot well wide of the target.
Rovers seemed to break the offside trap set by the Fleetwood defence five minutes later as Brandon Hanlan latched onto an over-the-top ball, with the forward firing wide soon after.
The game seemed to calm down as both sides created half-chances, but none of them worried either goalkeeper. The Gas had shouts for a penalty as they thought Hanlan was pulled to the ground by Danny Andrew around the half-hour mark, but the referee dismissed those claims.
Rovers had the last real chance of the half as Nicholson lined up a strike from 25-yards, but it didn’t trouble Cairns, as it went high and wide of Town’s goal.
Fleetwood started the second half, much like the first one, on the front foot. The first chance started at the feet of Harrison Holgate, who played a long ball to Kyle Vassell, who turned and played the ball back to Madden, who forced a diving save out of Day.
A chance for either side soon followed as Donacien cut inside from the right and his near post shot was easily saved, before Alfie Kilgour drove down the other end and tried his luck from 40-yards, with his effort missing the target.
Camps’ last impact on the game, before being substituted for Mark Duffy, was a free-kick from the left-hand side as he hit the ball with venom towards the Rovers goal, but Day was a match for it as he pushed it clear.
With 20 minutes to go, The Gas’ substitute Luke McCormick dribbled past Andrew, by playing the ball through his legs, and played a low ball into the box towards Hanlan, who struck just wide of the near post.
The visitors carried on the pressure late on in the day as full-back Luke Leahy managed to pick out Nicholson, inside the Town penalty area, but he places his effort into the side netting.
The game dwindled out at the end as both sides tried to create chances, but neither could get the ball out of the midfield. At the end, both sides take a point from the game.
Town XI: Cairns (GK), Andrew, Connolly, Camps (Duffy 65’), J.Morris (McKay 80’), Rossiter, Madden (C), Vassell (Saunders 65’), Donacien, Batty (Biggins 80’), Holgate.
Subs not used: Coleman (GK), Hill, S.Morris.
Gas XI: Day (GK), Leahy, Grant, Ehmer (C), Liddle (McCormick 65’), Hanlan (Ayunga 84’), Nicholson, Kilgour, Daly (Rodman 72’), Baldwin, Williams.
Subs not used: van Stappershoef (GK), Tutonda, Harries, Oztumer.