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Match Reports

Report: Late Vela goal sees Town beat Dundee United at Highbury

23 July 2022

Match Reports

Report: Late Vela goal sees Town beat Dundee United at Highbury

23 July 2022

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Fleetwood Town overcame Scottish Premiership side Dundee United, as the Cods recorded a 2-1 victory ahead of next week's season opener.

Dan Batty opened the scoring just before the half-time break as he netted his third in as many games, but the was cancelled out as former-Cod Charlie Mulgrew levelled the game up.

It looked like it was going to end a draw until Josh Vela came up with the goods at the end, scoring the winner two minutes before the final whistle.

The first chance of the game came to Dundee United's Steven Fletcher, who dragged his shot wide of goal. A few minutes later Fleetwood retaliated, as their first chance came from Brendan Wiredu. The Midfielder found himself on the end of a corner and fired his shot over the crossbar.

Another chance came for Fleetwood just minutes later, as Paddy Lane darted his way into the penalty box and fired his shot wide.

After a few minutes of pressure from Town, United saw another chance fall to Fletcher. As a slick move down the right saw Liam Smith deliver a cross into the box, which found the forward who dragged his shot just wide of goal. 

Shayden Morris fancied a crack at goal, with a long-range shot from just outside the penalty box. In the end, it was an easy save for Mark Birighitti as the shot was struck straight at the shot-stopper. 

A fantastic long-range freekick from Charlie Mulgrew soon followed as he fired over the crossbar, which proved a challenging shot for the Fleetwood keeper Jay Lynch to deal with. 

Town ended the half the better side as they managed to create multiple chances before the break. The first coming from Morris who skipped past his man and fired a powerful shot towards the goal which needed to be saved.

A few minutes later, Town managed to find the back of the net through Batty once again as he received the ball on the edge of the box, after good work from Wiredu, with his deflected shot making its way into the bottom corner, past Birighitti.

After back-and-forth play in the opening stages of the second half, the United keeper was forced into making two quickfire saves as Ellis Harrison had a second bite of the cherry after his first effort was saved, but the keeper was a match for the follow-up.

Just after the hour mark, Dundee United drew the game level and it was one of our former players in Mulgrew found the back of the net. His chance was from the penalty spot as the ball fell to him after a set-piece, with his effort flying into the bottom right.

It looked set to be a draw after this but, it wasn’t the case as substitute Cian Hayes showed a bit of brilliance on the edge of the box to dribble past his man and play the ball into captain Vela on the left, who calmly placed the ball past Birighitti and made the game 2-1 just before the final whistle.

Town XI: Lynch (GK), Andrew, Wiredu, Morris (Hayes 77'), Vela (C), Harrison (Omochere 67'), Lane (J.Garner 77'), Holgate, Nsiala, Batty, Johnston.

Subs not used: Donaghy (GK), Boyle, Baggley, Earl.

Terrors XI: Birighitti (GK), Smith, McMann, Mulgrew (Graham 70'), Fletcher (Niskanen 60'), Edwards (C), Sibbald (Clark 60'), Levitt (Meekison 76'), Harkes, Cudjoe (Chalmers 81'), Watt (Freeman 60').

Subs not used: Eriksson (GK), Macleod.


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