Fleetwood Town battled throughout their Sky Bet League One clash against Plymouth Argyle at Highbury on Saturday afternoon, which ended in a thrilling 3-3 draw.
The game started slow but then picked up 20 minutes in as Luke Jephcott opened the scoring. Paddy Lane levelled the game up soon after with a brilliant strike, but it was second-half goals from Joe Edwards and Niall Ennis which seemed to seal the result.
A late burst from Town saw the points split one apiece as Ellis Harrison and Anthony Pilkington came up trumps to secure the draw for Fleetwood.
The first chance of the game came 14 minutes into the game when Paddy Lane cut inside from the right and drilled a shot on goal, forcing Mickael Cooper into a save. Carl Johnston looked to have got in for the rebound but the ‘keeper stayed alert and stopped his follow-up effort.
Town had another chance soon after, this time from a free-kick which was won by Ellis Harrison 20-yards out. Danny Andrew stood over it and his strike looked destined for the top-left corner, but Cooper somehow managed to get a hand to it and push it wide.
The away side then broke the deadlock with their first meaningful attack of the game as Jordan Garrick had the ball on the left, played a low-driven cross to Jephcott in the centre, who fired his shot into the roof of the goal from close range.
Plymouth had the lead only for four minutes as Johnston did brilliantly to chase the ball across the front line and play in Lane on the right-wing. He then cut in on his left and struck a perfect looping strike into the top corner to level the score up.
Another couple of chances followed for Fleetwood just before the half as Zak Jules had an effort just before the half-hour mark after Callum Camps was able to pick him out in the box, but the defender’s shot was collected by Cooper. Lane then lined up another short from range and forced a save from the goalkeeper.
The away side retook the lead four minutes after the break as Conor Grant played a deep cross into the box from the wing and the Pilgrims captain outjumped Andrew at the back post and nodded it into the bottom corner.
Fleetwood continued to press forwards, even after conceding the goal and created three great quickfire chances to bring the game back to level terms. Andrew played in Johnston first whose cross had to be collected by the ‘keeper. Then, Jules headed a Dan Batty free-kick onto the post, before Camps’ flamboyant effort is somehow blocked by a last-ditch lunge.
What an end to the game as Town piled on the pressure until Harrison was able to nod in a cross from the right to bring the side back into it before Pilkington, who came off the bench, found himself in the right place at the right time to head home from a yard out!
Town XI: Cairns (GK), Andrew (C), Jules, Harrison, Camps, Matete (Pilkington 80’), Batty (Hayes 66’), C.Johnson, Lane, Nsiala, Johnston (Morris 80’).
Subs not used: Crellin (GK), Clarke, Biggins, Macadam.
Pilgrims XI: Cooper (GK), Gillesphey (Critchlow 50’), Wilson, Scarr, Broom, Edwards (C), Garrick, Grant, Randell, Camara (Lewis 83'), Jephcott (Ennis 71’).
Subs not used: Burton (GK), Bolton, Law, Jenkins-Davies.