With a first-year head coach and several youngsters that are seen as “up and coming”, Fleetwood Town Football Club is now in its eighth season competing in Sky Bet League One after first reaching the third tier of English football following the 2013/14 season.
Since that time, the Cod Army have staved off relegation a number of times, while missing out on promotion via the play-offs in 2019/20, eventually falling to Wycombe Wanderers on aggregate, 6-3, across the two play-off games. The club has now had three managers/head coaches in the last three seasons until the hiring of first-year head coach Stephen Crainey’s appointment in the summer of 2021.
It was in 2009/10 that Fleetwood Town rose to the Football Conference (now the National League) by advancing in the play-offs past Droylsden in the semi-finals and later beating Alfreton Town in the finals. It wasn’t until the following season that the Cod Army made all of its players full-time professionals. One of the most successful players to come out of Fleetwood Town in recent years has been Jamie Vardy, who scored 31 goals in 36 games for the club during the 2011/12 season. It was 2013/14 that saw the Cod Army use an Antoni Sarcevic free kick to defeat Burton Albion, 1-0, in the Sky Bet League Two play-off final at Wembley Stadium, earning the club its first-ever promotion to League One for the following season.
Fleetwood Town enter the weekend’s clash sitting 20th in the current League One table on 22 points. They are level with Lincoln City on points and goal difference.
The Cod Army have won five games, lost 11 and drawn seven in League One this season. However, they have won two of their last 10 league fixtures, also drawing three games and losing five. The month of December was positive for the team though, as they mustered up a pair of wins, two losses and a draw across the holiday month.
In their last 15 games across all competitions, the Cod Army has registered just three wins against 10 losses and three draws.
Fleetwood have scored just eight goals in November, followed by the lowest scoring output of the season with six goals in December. The Fleetwood Town defence has conceded a total of 54 goals from the opposition in all competitions this season.
Along with the goalkeeper services of Alex Cairns, Fleetwood Town have kept just three clean sheets across all competitions this season – two of them resulting in wins. However, the opposition has secured six clean sheets against Fleetwood Town this season, as five of those have served as losses for the Cod Army.
In all, 45.7% of Fleetwood Town’s scoring comes from the services of Gerard Garner (seven goals), Andrew (six goals), Harrison Biggins (four goals) and Callum Morton (four goals).
Rovers and Fleetwood have met 12 times dating back to the 2014/15 season. Rovers have lost six of those games and drawn three times, and registered just three wins.
*****
Can't join us for the next game? Keep up with the action with iFollow Rovers
