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| Evan Galvin, first game back after broken leg |
Following the international action last week that took away the Australian lads, we were again back to the full complement this week. Callum Richardson and Kevin Ly returned to the first eleven, with Luke Daly dropping to the bench and Cameron Dummigan likely moving back up to the dev squad. The usual rotation in the goalkeeping area saw Conor Mitchell take up the gloves with Callum Jakovlevs moving to the role of substitute.
We were the better side in the opening half hour, though like the previous home game versus Macclesfield we were not really testing the keeper enough. Lewis Nuttall whipped a curling effort just high and wide of the angle, and Ntumba Massanka bundled an effort just wide of the post. We were playing some good football but occasional over confidence did see us presenting Fleetwood with the ball for dangerous break which both needed last ditch block tackles to end.
Around 35 minutes in we did take the lead. Good work on the left wing saw Massanka pressure a hurried clearance that saw the ball drift into a central area. Brad Jackson had tracked inside and clipped a drifting effort over the stranded keeper and into the back of the net.
We managed to close out the half in the lead but the lack of lethal instinct had left the visitors well in with a shout. Indeed their half time team talk fired them up in just the right way and they came out pumped. In their first attack they cut through us with relative ease and ended with their number 8 slamming the ball home from around 12 yards.
We were rattled and ragged, with Fleetwood in almost total control for around 15 minutes. However, Mitchell wasn’t really having to make any saves, so the Cod Army were no different to us in the first half, despite all the pressure.
Out of nothing we created a glorious chance to retake the lead as Jackson jinked down the right and picked out Nuttall in the box. His glancing header flashed across goal and hit the far post, rebounding to Ly, whose shot on the slide cracked the post and went behind. The brief flurry shook the visitors and gave us a little more belief, ending their spell of pressure.
As the battle continued Pash readied his reinforcements on the touchline. With twenty minutes remaining he made his first change with Christian Hill replacing Nuttall on the left hand side of attack. Five minutes later he introduced Evan Galvin in the middle for Andreas Bianga. It was the first competitive action for Evan since his broken ankle sustained last year, and a welcome return.
With ten minutes left in the match we retook the lead. Nathan Lowe worked with Charlie Holt on the right and moved the ball to a shooting position just outside the box. His effort was goal bound but with the keeper heading in the right direction. Hill appeared and flicked the ball home from close range, giving the stopper no chance. Everyone looked to the linesman, whose flag stayed down, and the celebrations began. It signalled the final involvement for Lowe as he was replaced by debutant Brandon Wilson, with the Australian making his first appearance after international clearance was granted.
The goal had clearly got our tails up and we started to push on more. It gave opportunity for Massanka to get in on the act and continue his scoring form. Firstly he ran onto a slide rule ball that dissected the defence and calmly slotted past the onrushing keeper to make it 3-1. Then almost immediately after he moved forward again and fed Hill on the left side of the box and the winger slammed home to make the scoreline more emphatic than perhaps it should have been.
The ref called time on proceeding then, allowing me to scurry home and watch the derby game as live on Sky+.
Team:- Conor Mitchell, Charlie Holt, Waqas Azam, Callum Richardson, Alex Whitmore, Andreas Bianga (Evan Galvin), Nathan Lowe (Brandon Wilson), Lewis Nuttall (Christian Hill), Brad Jackson, Kevin Ly, Ntumba Massanka.
Subs not used:- Callum Jakovlevs, Luke Daly.