Fleetwood Town’s Development Squad were knocked out of the Lancashire FA Senior Cup on Tuesday afternoon after losing out to Blackpool at Bloomfield Road.
The Development Squad looked competitive throughout the game, but it was the home side who took the lead through Oliver Sarkic, with Sonny Carey adding another either side of the half-time break. Town had chances to test Stuart Moore in the Blackpool goal but couldn’t quite find a way past him.
Town pressed from the first whistle with Ryan Edmondson almost capitalising on two loose passes in the opening couple of minutes, but it was Blackpool who had the first clear-cut chance.
Three minutes into the game, Gary Madine played the ball to Sarkic on the edge of the Town box, where he curled it into the bottom corner to make it 1-0.
The goal didn’t hinder Fleetwood’s attacking approach to the game as Connor Teale played a lofted through ball up to Carl Johnston, who was running through, but the goalkeeper rushed out quickly to beat the Northern Irishman to it.
Just before the quarter-hour mark, Town had a corner which Barry Baggley whipped in and found Sam Bird at the back post. His header was aimed back into the packed six-yard box, which forced S.Moore to punch the ball away.
Soon after, Demitri Mitchell crossed the ball in, after moving the ball past Bird, with the cross finding Madine inside Town’s six-yard area, but Billy Crellin did well to spread his body and stop the shot.
Just before the break, both sides managed to create chances as Baggley and Conn-Clarke try to test S.Moore from range but it was the home side who made the most of their chance on the brink of half-time as Carey fired his shot across Crellin, finding the bottom left corner.
The next chance came in 10 minutes into the second half as Jay Matete managed o take control of a loose pass from the home defence, before finding Carl Johnston who completed the one-two, but Matete’s effort went off target.
Blackpool added a third to their tally on the hour mark. Even though Billy Batch’s efforts stalled the counter-attack, Carey did well to get the loose ball under control and drill his effort into the back of the net.
Chris Conn-Clarke tried to find a way back into the game with just over 20 minutes to go as he danced around a few defenders within the Blackpool box and forced a save out of the Seasiders ‘keeper.
Half-chances for the hosts from substitutes Rob Apter and Ewan Bange followed with the latter also hitting the post before Conn-Clarke had a chance at the other end less than a minute later, firing just wide. The referee then blew his full-time whistle not long after seeing Fleetwood’s run in the Lancashire FA Senior Cup comes to an end at Bloomfield Road.
Blackpool XI: S.Moore (GK), Sinclair, Husband (C) (J.Moore 73’), Gretarsson, Casey, Trusty, Sarkic, Antwi, Madine (Bange 63’), Carey, Mitchell (Apter 63’).
Subs not used: Monks (GK), Mariette.
Town XI: Crellin (GK), Baggley, Bird, Conn-Clarke, Edmondson, Hayes (Boyle 66’), Johnston, Lane (Batch 30’), Matete (C), Teale, Thiam (Thompson 73’).
Subs not used: Rees (GK), Raffie.