Fleetwood Town played out a goalless draw in Gloucestershire on a clear Tuesday night at The New Lawn against Forest Green Rovers.
It was a mainly one-sided game, with the side in red seeing most of the action throughout the game. Jack Marriott – who netted a hat-trick in the game before against Accrington Stanley – and Promise Omochere both struck the woodwork in the first half, but both were deemed offside when shooting.
Town were on top in the opening 10 minutes as Jack Marriott had two big chances early on. It was the link-up play between him and Carl Johnston that made these chances happen, with the first hitting the post from an offside position, and the second going just wide of the far post.
The chances kept flowing for Fleetwood as Marriott saw a shot deflect behind for a corner from inside the area. From the set piece, the ball found its way to Scott Robertson, who laid the ball off for Promise Omochere to try a spectacular overhead kick, which smashed against the crossbar.
It was a quiet half for Jay Lynch and his back line as most of the play was in the home half. Phoenix Patterson had a first-time effort, assisted by Jayden Stockley, go just wide before the winger turned from the shooter in the assistor as he found Omochere in the box, but his header was saved well.
There was only one side in the first half; it wasn’t until the 40th minute that Forest Green had their first chance of the game as a low cross from the left isn’t dealt with, the home side then passed the ball out to Harvey Bunker who struck well over the bar from range – it ended goalless at the half.
The action in the second half took a while to come as spectators would have to wait until the hour mark when Brandon Omotoye nodded over from close range. Soon after, substitute Junior Quitirna had a chance of his own as his header needed to be saved by Ross Doohan.
Not much attacking play followed the chances on the hour, one of the only efforts of note was in the 68th minute when Town worked the ball across the 18-yard line, from right to left, with Johnston seeing an opportunity to try and lob the keeper from range, but his effort landed on the roof of the net.
A quick double effort from the Cods in the last 10 minutes could have made all the difference in this fixture, but it wasn’t meant to be as Doohan dived low to stop Shaun Rooney’s curled effort from 20-yards before Patterson struck just wide of the far post.
As the game rounded out, and both sides left The New Lawn with a point, Scott Brown and his staff will now turn their focuses to Saturday’s fixture against Milton Keynes Dons at home as they’ll look to carry on their recent unbeaten form.
Forest Green XI: Doohan (GK), McGeouch (C), Casey, Garrick, Robson, Godwin-Malife (Bernard 86’), Cooper, Peart-Harris, Bunker, Omotoye (Bakayoko 63’), Savage (O’Brien 86’).
Unused subs: Burnett (GK), O’Keeffe, Moore-Taylor, R.Brown.
Town XI: Lynch (GK), Wiredu, Vela (C), Stockley, Robertson (Warrington 70’), Marriott, Omochere (Quitirna 57’), Patterson, Rooney, Johnston, Earl.
Unused subs: McMullan (GK), Nsiala, Batty, White, P.Brown.
