Fleetwood Town’s Under 18s continued their brilliant run of form in a 5-1 win over Lancashire rivals, Preston North End, at Poolfoot Farm on Saturday.
Jacob Holland-Wilkinson put Preston ahead in the game early on, but Matthew Lawlor’s side responded perfectly, as Cian Hayes managed to get them back into the game. From then on, they pressed forwards and found the back of the net four more times through Billy Batch, Enoch Takpe, Sam Bird, and Danny Edwards respectively.
The game had a lively start with both sides managing to work a chance within the first two minutes as Preston’s Lewis Leigh hit a free-kick on target, just before Takpe shot just over for Town.
Ten minutes in, the visitors came close to opening the scoring as Leigh swung in a cross, which ended up hitting the post. After the initial shock, Town’s backline was able to compose themselves and get the ball clear.
Preston broke the deadlock six minutes later when Mikey O’Neill played a teasing ball across the Fleetwood box, which reached Holland-Wilkinson at the back post, who placed it into the back of the net.
Town reacted positively and found themselves back on level terms in the 34th minute as Edwards did well to take the ball off Preston as they looked to break out of their defence. He then Found Hayes inside the 18-yard box who fired home.
A second shortly followed for Fleetwood as a cross was played across the Preston box, towards Batch at the back post who half-volleyed the ball into the bottom right corner, past Oliver Lombard.
The young Cod Army increased their lead in the game just after the break as Takpe pressed the opposition’s defence from the front, winning the ball and placed the ball under the goalkeeper shortly after.
Bird found himself on the score sheet for the second game in a row with 12 minutes to go as he decided to try his luck from 20-yards and, it eventually found its way into the back of the net after taking a big deflection from a Preston defender.
Town made it five four minutes later as Edwards went on a solo-run after taking down a long-ball inside the Preston area. He dribbled past two defenders before calmly placing the ball into the bottom-right corner, finishing off the league clash.
Town XI: Borwick (GK), Bird, Batch (Kearns 83'), Edwards, Patterson, Barratt, Raffie, Takpe, Sithole (Feeney 75'), Hayes, Collins.
Subs not used: Eastham (GK), Wallace, Hoyle.