Fleetwood Town returned to action after the international break to a 3-0 home defeat against Stevenage at Highbury in their latest Sky Bet League One outing.
Despite creating several good opportunities and dominating for large periods, Town were left to rue their missed chances, with an early Jamie Reid strike and counter-attacking goals from Ben Thompson and Elliott List earning Steve Evans’ side all three points.
It didn’t take long for the game’s opening goal to arrive when a swift Stevenage move was finished off by Reid after just eight minutes, as the striker fired in a venomous first-time shot from inside the area.
Despite conceding an early blow, Town responded quickly by carving out a number of good opportunities. The closest came when Danny Mayor’s deflected effort was well saved by Taye Ashby-Hammond from inside the area, after some great work out wide from Shaun Rooney.
The Cods then had two brilliant opportunities to equalise just before the half-hour mark. First, Jack Marriott found a pocket of space in the box before being denied from point-blank range, before Phoenix Patterson’s dangerous low cross just needed someone to apply the finishing touch.
As half-time beckoned, Fleetwood was ultimately left frustrated to be a goal down, after dominating for large periods. The final chance of the half came when Josh Earl’s low cross took a wicked upward deflection and nearly landed in the far corner, but Stevenage maintained their lead heading into the break.
That elusive equalising goal so nearly arrived straight after half-time, when Patterson fooled the Stevenage defence with some brilliant step-overs, before blasting an effort onto the underside of the crossbar - that somehow bounced off the goal-line and away.
At this stage, Lee Johnson’s men were in full control, but they were set to be cruelly punished on the counterattack by Boro, as when Kane Hemmings found B.Thompson in space, the latter calmly lifted the ball past Jay Lynch to make it two-nil.
Even then Fleetwood continued to push, desperate to make their second-half dominance pay off, as substitute Jayden Stockley came close with several headed efforts.
As we entered the final ten minutes, the Cod Army rattled the bar again, this time through Mayor, who unleashed a powerful strike from the edge of the area.
It looked like it was set to be one of those unlucky afternoons in front of goal, as Patterson forced Ashby-Hammond to spring into action again with a powerful low drive before Marriott also saw the rebound denied - it just wouldn’t land for Fleetwood.
With five minutes of added time signalled, Lee Johnson’s Cods threw everything forward and the were hit on the counter once again, with substitute List racing away before squeezing the ball past Lynch to secure all three points for Stevenage.
Town XI: Lynch (GK), Wiredu, Lawal, Mayor, Broom (Stockley 68’), Marriott, Heneghan (C), Simons (Vela 25’), Rooney (Tshimanga 81’), Earl, Patterson.
Subs not used: McMullan (GK), Johnston, Holgate, Graydon.
Stevenage XI: Ashby-Hammond (GK), James-Wildin, Butler, Piergianni, (C), Forster-Caskey (Freeman 78’), Roberts (N.Thompson 78’), VanCooten, Burns, Reid (List 84’), B.Thompson (L.Thompson 78’), Hemmings (MacDonald 90+2’).
Subs not used: Hegyi (GK), Pressley.