Fleetwood Town finished their pre-season preparations in Scotland with a goalless draw against double cup winners St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park on Saturday afternoon.
Both sides were able to create chances throughout the game, with the best one being a free-kick from the home side being taken by David Wotherspoon in the first-half, which hit the side-netting of Alex Cairns’ goal.
The first effort of the game fell to the Cods, shortly after Chris Kane looked to have broken the offside trap for the hosts but was stopped well by James Hill.
Town started to push forwards soon after as Max Clark stood over a deep free-kick on the left-hand side, aimed it in towards James Hill who was beaten in the air as the ball was headed clear.
Jordan Rossiter was then on hand to intercept the clearance, and he eventually lines up a strike, which had to be blocked by the home side’s defence.
Another chance came three minutes later as brilliant work from Jay Matete, Rossiter, and Harrison Biggins sees the ball worked out wide to Clark, who finds Garner with a cross this time, but the shot went just wide of the far post.
After 23 minutes, St Johnstone came close to opening the scoring as Wotherspoon lined up a free-kick 20-yards out and even though his tricked a few fans into believing it was in, it actually hit the side-netting, going out for a goal-kick.
Wotherspoon was on the attack yet again three minutes later as he managed to dispossess Matete in the midfield, before trying his luck from 20-yards, but his effort went high and wide of Cairns’ goal.
A string of chances from Town came just before the half-hour mark and it all started with Biggins driving forwards from the middle. He let loose a strike from 25-yards and it was deflected behind for a corner. Clark would play a dangerous ball in from the set-piece, but Jason Kerr was there to head clear.
The last effort before the break was by the home side as Liam Craig found a yard of space on the edge of the Town area and decided to take on the chance, which was blocked by the travelling defence.
The game took a while to get going in the second half, but the home side did come out the brighter. Ten minutes into the half, the ball was played into a packed Town box, with substitute Murray Davidson’s being easily saved by Cairns.
The game slowed back down soon after as both sides were able to start attacks, but neither was able to make any meaningful chances. Substitute Michael O’Halleron played off the last man and tried to play a cross into the Town box, which was blocked by Tom Clarke.
Down the other end, Biggins aimed to find Max McMillan over the top with a through-ball, but the pass was unfortunately just over hit and was collected by the rushing Zander Clark.
Fleetwood had an effort late on in the game after a cluster of substitutes as Paddy Lane worked his way down the left, played a low-cross into the box towards McMillan, but the young forward couldn’t quite get a foot on it as the ball trickled through the area.
Town XI: Cairns (GK) (Crellin (GK) 79’), Halliday (Morris 64’), Clarke (Boyle 79’), McMillan, Rossiter (C) (Teale 79’), Holgate (Johnston 79’), Garner (Baggley 79’), Matete (Lane 79’), Hill (Conn-Clarke 79’), Biggins (Thiam 79’), Clark (Andrew 64’).
Subs not used: Wright (GK).
Saints XI: Clark (GK), Brown (Rooney 65’), Devine, McCart, Kerr (C), Gordon, Kane (Davidson 46’), Wotherspoon (Ballantyne 46’), Bryson (O’Halleron 46’), Hendry (Northcott 80’), Craig (McCann 46’).
Subs not used: Parish (GK), Denham, Muller, Moreland.