Fleetwood Town were knocked out of the Papa John’s Trophy after losing 3-2 to Hull City at the KCOM Stadium on Tuesday evening.
The Cod Army took the lead through Paddy Madden early on, with Wes Burns adding to that early on in the second half. Hull pulled one back through substitute Mallik Wilks before Keane Lewis-Potter and Lewie Coyle both found the back of the net to earn their side a spot in the next round.
Town started the game the brighter of the two sides where within the first five minutes Burns found himself in behind the hosts’ defence, drilled a ball across the face of the box but no player in red could capitalise.
The Cod Army started moving up the gears soon after, passing the ball around with confidence and looking threatening on the attack, where only a few minutes later the hard work was rewarded, and the deadlock was broken.
Burns carried the ball down the right flank at the Tigers’ defence with speed, where on the side of the box pulled it back to Madden who took one touch out of his feet and struck the ball from 12 yards into the back of the net with help from the post.
In reaction to going a goal down Hull had a few successive chances around the 20th minute mark but nothing too testing for emergency loanee Joe Hilton in Town’s goal.
Hull then came forward down their right-hand side as Lewie Coyle pulled the ball back for James Scott whose movement away from James Hill allowed him space for a clear effort on goal from 12 yards out but he couldn’t get the ball out of his feet and Callum Connolly cleared Fleetwood’s lines.
After a surge of attacks from the hosts, Town started to pick up their original stride- it was Paul Coutts who dispossessed Thomas Mayer in the midfield as he spread the ball out left for Josh Morris, he got his head up and found Callum Camps whose clever spin moved him away from Alfie Jones but his effort from range flew past the post.
After making a triple change at half-time, Hull had the first chance of the second half as Keane Lewis-Potter drove into Fleetwood’s box who laid it off for Mallik Wilks, but Connolly was in the way to block the strike.
Town doubled their lead as a J.Morris stood over a free-kick on the byline, played it onto the edge of the box for Burns who pulled the trigger and saw his effort fly through the crowd and into the back of the net in the 53rd minute.
A chance for the hosts arose in the 60th minute as Wilks found himself in the right place at the right time after a bouncing ball off Connolly, but the effort could only find the side netting.
Hilton was called into action as Lewis-Potter’s strike was destined for the bottom corner, but Hilton matched it with a save and parried out for a corner which came to nothing.
The home side stayed on the attacking front and started to put the pressure on as Coyle’s left-footed effort was kept out by a diving save from Hilton again.
Hull got the goal they had been pushing for as Wilks headed in George Honeyman’s corner into the back of the net to half the deficit.
The momentum was with the hosts as they equalised only moments later through Lewis-Potter as another corner was swung in from Honeyman and Lewis-Potter was the fastest to react to poke the ball into the back of the net.
The last chance of the game decided it as former-Fleetwood full-back Lewie Coyle tried his luck from 30-yards, with his strike flying into the top-corner of the goal – finishing the comeback for the Tigers.
Town XI: Hilton (GK), Connolly, Whelan (Duffy 60’), Burns (Saunders 71’), Camps, Morris, Coutts (C), Madden, Hill, Rydel, S Morris (Matete 75’).
Hull City XI: Ingram (GK), Coyle (C), Elder, Batty (Wilks 45’), Scott (Honeyman 45’), Jones, McLoughlin, Slater, Mayer (Lewis-Potter 45’), Magennis (Salam 65’), Smith.