Fleetwood Town were knocked out of the Emirates FA Cup in the Second Round of the competition after falling to a 4-0 defeat to Cambridge United at The Abbey Stadium.
It was a quick start that benefitted the home side in foggy, chilly conditions as within the opening 15 minutes Danny Andrew, Elias Kachunga, and Fejiri Okenabirhie all found the back of the making it an uphill climb from the start, with substitute Gassan Ahadme adding a fourth late in the second half to finish off Town's cup campaign.
The deadlock was broken early in the clash when Bosun Lawal gave away a weak free-kick 20 yards from Town’s goal, which former Cod Andrew stepped up to. The full-back aimed towards the bottom left corner and found it as he struck the set-piece through the wall.
A clearly buoyed Cambridge side then doubled their lead through Kachunga, who latched onto a second opportunity after Okenabirhie hit the post just before, and then made it three when the Yellows’ number nine broke through and slotted home in a one-on-one.
After a quick team talk on the sidelines, Town managed to forge two quickfire half-chances as Ryan Broom saw his strike from range be blocked by a diving defender and Jack Marriott dragged his effort wide of the mark soon after.
Lee Johnson’s men started to find their footing in the game at this point as they looked to decrease the deficit when Broom had a shot deflect wide for a corner, with Ben Heneghan rising for the resulting set-piece, but he headed over Jack Stevens’ crossbar.
Just as this happened though, disaster struck yet again for the Cods as Sulley Kaikai was brought down in the box and up stepped substitute Ahadme, whose spot kick was stopped by youngster Stephen McMullan between the Town sticks.
Chances were limited from this point onwards until the 51st minute when Kachunga opened his body and tried to find McMullan’s bottom left corner with an effort from range, but the goalkeeper easily got down to stop the effort.
Both sides then had good chances to add goals to the game as Phoenix Patterson picked out Danny Mayor inside the home box, whose shot on goal was blocked by Michael Morrison before James Brophy took the ball down the other end and struck the crossbar.
As Town made a few changes to get a foothold in the game, they created a few chances, but never really troubled Stevens in the Cambridge goal, the closest Town came was a low-driven shot from the edge by Marriott, but the shot-stopper kept that one out with ease.
The game was put to bed seven minutes from time as Paul Digby’s lofted pass found the feet of Ahadme not far away from Town’s goal, where he slotted past the goalkeeper, making it four-nil on the day.
Cambridge XI: Stevens (GK), L.Bennett, Andrew, (Haunstrup 80’) Digby, Morrison (C), Brophy (McConnell 80’), Thomas, Okenabirhie (Ahadme 21’), Kaikai (Lankester 73’), Okedina, Kachunga (Janneh 73’).
Unused subs: Mannion (GK), R.Bennett, May, Cousins.
Town XI: McMullan (GK), Johnston (Rooney 58’), Wiredu, Lawal (Montgomery 58’), Vela (C), Stockley (Tshimanga 69’), Mayor, Broom (Dolan 32’), Marriott, Heneghan, Patterson.
Unused subs: Lynch (GK), Holgate, Teale, Brown, Armstrong.