Fleetwood Town came out on top of their Carabao Cup Round One tie against Wigan Athletic, beating them 1-0 at Highbury on Tuesday evening.
In a game full of chances, it was Ged Garner’s first-half goal, which was a header from close range, that made the difference as it means the Cods will be in the pot for Wednesday night’s draw for the next round.
The first chance of the game fell to the visitors as a cross-field ball caught out the Town backline and found Stephen Humphrys waiting six yards from goal but failed to convert the chance.
The first chance of the game fell to the visitors, and it was a gilt-edged one, as the ball was played across the face of goal to forward Stephen Humphrys, who connected with it well but was brilliantly denied by Jay Lynch between the Town sticks.
Another chance came less than 60 seconds later, again for Humphrys, as a free-kick was played short to him, as he found some space down the right side of the box before unleashing a powerful shot, which a group of Town defenders blocked.
Fleetwood found their feet in the game soon after as Ged Garner latched onto a loose back pass from James Carragher. He then moved the ball onto his left foot, earning himself a yard of space, but his effort was blocked by Charlie Hughes.
It didn’t take long after that to break the deadlock as G.Garner found himself in the right place at the right time as he managed to nod home from five yards after the ball was headed on a couple of times from both sides within the Wigan area.
Five minutes before the halftime break Fleetwood's Harvey Macadam tried his luck on goal to extend the Cod Army's lead in the game, however, the Town midfielder scuffed his efforts wide of the left post.
Fleetwood were the side on top in the opening stages of the second half with multiple chances coming close to the back of the net for Scott Brown's men.
G.Garner was unlucky not to latch onto a loose ball in the Wigan box, with it then rebounding out to Danny Andrew, who curled an effort towards the far corner, which hit the post. It then rebounded out to Macadam, but he could only find the side netting with his effort.
Later in the second half, Hughes came close to finding the equaliser for Athletic, as the defender fired a bullet of a header inches wide. Moments later, another chance came to Humphrys whose powerful effort was easily saved with ease by Lynch.
Five minutes before the full-time whistle, Fleetwood came close to extending their lead as Andrew had another attempt at goal, this time the Fleetwood defender saw his long-range free-kick fire just over the crossbar.
Town XI: Lynch (GK), Andrew, Vela, G.Garner (J.Garner 79'), Hayes (Lane 79'), Nsiala, Batty (White 89'), Rooney, Macadam (Wiredu 72'), Johnston, Earl.
Unused subs: Cairns (GK), Harrison, Morton, Holgate, Edwards.
Latics XI: Jones (GK), Nyambe (Lloyd 71'), Pearce, Shinnie, Aasgaard, Carragher, Hughes, Smith, Humphrys, Brennan (Stones 90'), McHugh (Adeeko 45').
Unused subs: Mooney (GK), Sze, Chentouf, Adams.