Town’s game against Fleetwood at Highbury remains 0-0 at half-time.

Boss Paul Lambert made one change with Luke Woolfenden coming into the side and Alan Judge dropping to the bench.

Woolfenden returned to his usual role on the right side of the Blues’ back three with Cole Skuse moving into midfield and Jon Nolan taking up the more advanced central role. Fleetwood were unchanged from the team which won 3-0 at Shrewsbury last week.

The home side created the game’s first opening in the sixth minute when Danny Andrew was played in down the left by Kyle Dempsey but his ball into the box was cut out by Town skipper Luke Chambers.

The Blues, with 1,100 of their fans behind Tomas Holy’s goal on an old-fashioned terrace, defended that corner but a minute later from another flag-kick, this time on the right, Wes Burns headed wide at the near post.

Fleetwood had shaded a fairly scruffy opening quarter of an hour and on 19 Blues striker James Norwood was booked for a foul on Cod Army skipper Paul Coutts five yards outside the penalty area.

The freekick came to nothing and from the resultant goalkick Coutts joined Norwood in referee Carl Boyeson’s book for a foul on Jon Nolan.

Town went close for the first time in the 23rd minute when Woolfenden found Garbutt with an excellent cross-field pass. The on-loan Everton man brought the ball into the area before hitting a low shot across the face of goal but just wide.

Kane Vincent-Young did well to turn a Lewie Coyle cross from the right wide of his own goal at the far post ahead of Andrew with the Blues still to get on top of the home side.

Chances had been few and far between at both ends - certainly less frequent than freekicks which had been a regular interruption - but on 36 Norwood threatened for the first time.

Kayden Jackson did well on the left and played back to Garbutt, who whipped the ball over to Norwood, who was unable to keep his header down.

Cole Skuse’s name was added to referee Boyeson’s book in the 43rd minute for a foul on Josh Morris as Fleetwood broke after a Town corner, Flynn Downes having slipped as he looked to hook back into the box.

Just before what had been a battling, evenly-contested half was brought to a close by referee Boyeson, Chambers intercepted a dangerous Ched Evans pass forward.

Town had fleetingly imposed their passing on the home side, who equally had had spells on top but with both defences having kept the game’s chances to a minimum.

Garbutt’s shot across the face and Norwood’s header over the bar were the pick of the opportunities at both ends.

Fleetwood: Cairns, Coyle, Andrew, Souttar, Burns, Dempsey, Evans, Morris, Dunne, Coutts, Rossiter. Subs: Gilks, Clarke, Madden, Hunter, Biggins, Sowerby, Sheron.

Town: Holy, Vincent-Young, Woolfenden, Chambers, Wilson, Garbutt, Skuse, Downes, Nolan, Jackson, Norwood. Subs: Norris, Huws, Edwards, Dozzell, Judge, Rowe, Georgiou. Referee: Carl Boyeson (East Yorkshire).

Photo: TWTD

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