Fleetwood Town got back to winning ways on the road after their 3-1 win over Crewe Alexandra at the Mornflake Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Town took a first-half lead when Harvey Macadam headed home Harrison Biggins’ cross. However, the hosts responded through Chris Long, levelling the score just before the break.
A superb second-half display saw substitutes Anthony Pilkington and Ellis Harrison score the decisive goals to take the three points back to Highbury.
With the first chance of the game, Fleetwood opened the scoring when Biggins picked up the ball on the left-hand side. His in-swinging cross found the head of Macadam who headed into the far corner.
Soon after, the home side came close to finding an equaliser when Chris Porter received the ball inside the six-yard box from Callum Ainley - in what seemed to be an offside position. His effort called Alex Cairns into action who made a vital block from a tight angle.
With just under 10 minutes until half-time, Ainley tried his luck from range. However, his effort skewed way wide of the target.
Long continued Crewe’s push for an equaliser when he drove down the right, before firing a shot on the Fleetwood goal – Cairns was equal to the effort and got down quickly to parry wide. Porter headed the ball behind from the resulting corner.
At the other end, Town came close to doubling their lead when Cian Hayes fizzed a cross towards Ged Garner, who headed inches over the bar from the penalty spot.
Just before the break, Long levelled the score. His long-range effort curled into the back of the net past the outstretched Cairns.
The Railwaymen came close to taking an early second-half lead when Oli Finney met Tom Lowery’s cross, but his headed effort was over the bar.
Just before the hour mark, Biggins latched onto a misplaced header on the edge of the area. Unfortunately for Town, his effort couldn’t find the target.
The Cod Army were inches away from taking the lead when Paddy Lane picked up the ball on the right-wing. His perfectly placed cross picked out substitute Harrison, whose strike went just wide of the far post.
In the 63rd minute, after a dangerous run into the area, Porter looked to give Crewe the lead, when he fired a low-driven shot towards goal. However, his effort could only find the gloves of the goalkeeper.
Two minutes later, Pilkington put Fleetwood ahead. Callum Camps’ cross from a deep position picked out the substitute, who peeled away from his man at the back post and nodded past David Richards.
With just over 15 minutes to play, Town doubled their lead when Pilkington unleashed a shot from the edge of the area. His strike forced the goalkeeper into action, but he could only parry the ball back into play. Harrison was alive to the loose ball and poked home Fleetwood’s third.
Ainley – Crewe’s bright spark throughout the game – looked to pull one back for his side. He tried to curl one into the top right corner, but Cairns pulled off a super save - tipping the ball over at full stretch.
With 87 minutes on the clock, all three substitutes linked up, Pilkington almost grabbed his second, and Town’s fourth. Harrison found Batty, who played Pilkington through on goal. This time, the goal scorers’ effort was saved by Richards who was quick to charge off his line.
Town XI: Cairns (GK), Jules, Clarke (C), Camps, Garner (Pilkington 59’), Johnson, Biggins (Batty 70’), Lane, Nsiala, Hayes (Harrison 59’), Macadam.
Unused subs: O’Hara (GK), Harrop, Butterworth, Baggley.
Crewe XI: Richards (GK), Offord, Long, Lowery, Porter, Ainley, Finney, Murphy (C) (Harper 78’), Johnson, Williams (O’Riordan 66’), Kashket (Sambou 66’.
Unused subs: Jaaskelainen (GK), Lundstram, Griffiths, Onyeka.
Attendance: 3,813 (244 away)