Fleetwood Town are set to face Cambridge United at Highbury Stadium on Saturday 17 December, and we have all the information you need to know ahead of the 3pm kick-off in our match preview.
Fixture: Fleetwood Town v Cambridge United
Competition: Sky Bet League One
Date: Saturday 17 December 2022
Kick-off: 15:00
Venue: Highbury Stadium, Park Ave, Fleetwood, FY7 6SP
FLEETWOOD TOWN
The Cods come into this game on the back of a late 2-1 win over MK Dons at Stadium MK. Young defender Carl Johnston scored Town's equaliser after Warren O'Hora's opener for the hosts, and then it was left for substitute Dan Batty to win it for Scott Brown's men right at the death.
Batty scored in Milton Keynes last season when the two sides played out a six-goal thriller, and made his birthday this year one to remember by scoring with his weak foot, right in front of the travelling away fans.
This will be Town's first home match since Saturday 19 November when they hosted Bolton Wanderers in the league. That match finished 2-1 to the Trotters, so a win before Christmas Day on home soil will really boost the festive spirit in the community.
BUY YOUR TICKETS FOR THE MATCH HERE!
CAMBRIDGE UNITED
The Sky Bet League One side currently sit 20th in the table after picking up 21 points from their 21 league matches played. Their last match in Sky Bet League One saw a goalless draw against Plymouth Argyle - who currently sit 2nd in the table.
Thie last win on the road was was back on Tuesday 25 October 2022 at Adams' Park. Goals from Harvey Knibbs, Jack Lankester and Lloyd Jones secured all three points for United, despite a late goal from Wycombe Wanderers making it a nervy few minutes in injury time.
Sam Smith is the one to watch this weekend. The 24-year-old has scored five goals in 27 appearances this season, with his last being in their 2-1 defeat against Grimsby Town in the Emirates FA Cup. The forward began his career at Reading before loan spells at Oxford United, Shrewsbury, Cambridge United and Tranmere Rovers.
Afer becoming a free agent in July 2021, he signed a permanent contract with Cambridge and has since scored 26 goals in 80+ appearances.
WHAT SCOTT BROWN SAID AHEAD OF THE GAME
“We haven’t won two games in a row this season or for a long time, it will be huge for the Club and it will be a huge for the lads in terms of a confidence boost but we know it won’t be easy.
“We know it will be a hard game. Teams in this league are hard to beat whoever it is and when teams play away from home, they do tend to setup to defend and it’s up to us to take the game to them, especially when we are at home.
“It’s going to be a physical game. They’re similar to us in the way they can mix it up and be direct and then also play out from the back. They had a fantastic result last weekend against Plymouth Argyle and picking up a draw.
“For us, it’s about us breaking them down as we know they’ll be secure defensively. We need to restrict their balls into the box as they’ve got some physicality up top with Ironside and he and other players can cause us a lot of problems.
“We need to make sure we are secure behind the ball before we go and throw bodies forward."
WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW LIVE ON IFOLLOW HERE!
IFOLLOW DETAILS
On the day of the game, there will be two matchday packages available for our UK-based and overseas supporters:
Audio Match Pass - £2.50
Video Match Pass - £10.00*
*This will be the final chance for U.K supporters to watch iFollow for this price on a Saturday.
Those who choose the Audio Match Pass option will get access to just the commentary, which will be provided by our partners, BBC Radio Lancashire.
Season passes are available with audio passes for only £45 for the season, for all UK-based members of the Cod Army! You can find more details by heading over to our iFollow page.
BUY A MATCH TICKETS FOR SATURDAY'S CLASH
The Cods are back at home for the first time in over a month and, in that time, have progressed into the Third Round of the Emirates FA Cup after beating Ebbsfleet United, earned a valuable point at high-flying Ipswich Town, before snatching the win at Stadium MK on Saturday over Milton Keynes Dons.
Play your part in keeping the momentum going by getting your seat sorted for our upcoming game HERE. Tickets for adults start at £22 in the Memorial Stand, with premium seating still available in the Parkside for just £26 (limited spaces left in this section). Seniors and Under-25s can get their tickets from as little as £17, with Under-16s able to gain access from £7 onwards.
WANT SOMETHING MORE? What better present for the Fleetwood Town fan in your life than this year’s half-season Onward Card, which will allow access to every home league game from Boxing Day onwards?
The reduced price will be valid from the Sheffield Wednesday game on 26 December, meaning you will be able to go to 12 league games at Highbury from just £7 per game for adults, £5 per game for seniors and under-25s, with under-16s just £1.92 per game!
This is the perfect time to get a loved one a Fleetwood Town Onward Card this Christmas. Half-season Onward Cards are on sale in the club shop/ticket office and will also be available online via store.fleetwoodtownfc.com.