Fleetwood Town left it late in their first home league fixture of the season as they managed to beat Plymouth Argyle 2-1 at Highbury on Saturday afternoon.
With the visitors taking the lead from the penalty spot through Ryan Hardie, it was all to do for Town and what a comeback it was. Dan Batty scored his fifth goal in as many games to draw the game level before Joe Garner came off the bench late on to poke the winner home in the 88th minute.
The first chance of the game fell to the Cods as Dan Batty played a brilliant cross-field ball to Shaun Rooney on the right-wing, who picked out Ellis Harrison inside the box, but Michael Cooper was a match for his effort.
Town carried on their good start to the game as Callum Morton created another chance 11 minutes in as he played the ball to Batty in the box, who turned his man but had his shot from 12-yards blocked and cleared.
With an attack that seemed to be against the run of play, Argyle went down the left with Bali Mumba, who was brought down by Toto Nsiala in the Town box, meaning they would earn a penalty. Hardie stepped up to take the spot kick and placed it in the bottom left to open the scoring.
Just before the half-hour mark, Fleetwood drew level and it was Batty once again finding the back of the net, scoring his fifth in as many games for the Cods. Rooney was in an advanced position before finding Batty who hit the ball first time into the far corner, past Cooper.
That was it for the action in the first half, and both sets of fans didn’t have to wait long for the first chance of the second period as Hardie tried his luck form range after working a yard, but fired straight at Jay Lynch, who collected it with relative ease.
After a succession of fouls and cautions for the away side, it was Danny Andrew with the next shot as he stood over a free kick from a long way out. He directed the set-play towards the near-post, with the strike going just wide of the target.
With 20 minutes to go, goal scorer Batty was waiting on the edge of the box as Fleetwood played a corner-kick into a crowded area, which seemed to be a good decision as it was cleared out to him so he could try a volleyed effort, which went high and wide of Cooper’s goal.
Soon after, Danny Mayor had a chance to try and put the visitors ahead as he worked a yard of space on the corner of Town’s 18-yard box before striking the ball towards goal, but Nsiala was on hand to nod the ball over the bar, with Lynch also having the shot covered behind.
It was late drama, and it went Fleetwood’s way as substitutes Cian Hayes and J.Garner linked up with two minutes to go with the former dribbling through a crowd and crossing it in to the latter, who tapped it home from close range to see Town win the first home league fixture of the season.
Town XI: Lynch (GK), Andrew, Wiredu (White 73’), Vela (C), Harrison (J.Garner 80’), Morton (Hayes 80’), Lane, Nsiala, Batty (G.Garner 90+4'), Rooney (Johnston 80’), Earl.
Unused subs: Cairns (GK), Holgate.
Plymouth XI: Cooper (GK), Gillesphey, Wilson, Scarr, Butcher, Edwards (C), Hardie (Ennis 80’), Mayor, Mumba (Houghton 73’), Azaz (Whittaker 63’), Randell.
Unused subs: Burton (GK), Lonwijk, Galloway, Jephcott.