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Clancy shows Crouch how it's done
NEXT time he meets his celebrity sister's boyfriend Peter Crouch, Sean Clancy can claim he's achieved something that's eluded the England international so far this season.
Crouch would have been proud of the hat-trick with which fashion model Abi Clancy's 21-year-old sibling grabbed the glamour as Fleetwood strutted their stuff.
Five minutes after completing his first-ever treble, the former Blackpool youngster retired to 'hero's acclaim from the 900-strong crowd, leaving his teammates to play out arguably their easiest match in the Blue Square North.
Fleetwood responded to two successive away defeats with the vibrancy of early season. By contrast, Saturday's geographically isolated visitors undertook their second trek in a week to the North-West from East Anglia with the appetite of a side that can't wait for the final game.
Once Clancy killed off any prospect of a reasonable contest with his third goal two minutes into the second half, mid-table King's Lynn's only interest was damage limitation. They were fortunate free-flowing Fleetwood didn't double the score.
Clancy and his midfield colleagues Warren Beattie, Steve Connors and Jamie Milligan were doing much as they pleased even before the opening goal on 22 minutes.
Barely had former Reading man Scott Howie kept out Michael Wilde's well-directed header than Clancy brought the ball down 35 yards out and wriggled past two defenders to slide it past the exposed keeper with his 'wrong' right foot.
Nine minutes later the all-action midfielder punished a Howie howler after centre half Bradley Thomas was yellow-carded for climbing all over Wilde in the centre circle.
Conscious at the last second that Milligan's free-kick was bouncing over him, the experienced keeper limply clawed the ball down to the feet of the lurking Clancy, who touched it in by the post.
Left wingback John Hills, enjoying an almost telepathic understanding with his long-time pal Milligan, twice triggered moves which saw a Connors drive charged down and a Beattie shot strike the upright.
King's Lynn remained in disarray going into the second half. Wilde, fed by co-striker Adam Warlow, was crowded out in the box as he tried to line up a shot. Clancy dug the ball out, took two paces forward and fired across Howie into the bottom corner.
King's Lynn's defence continued to be turned all ways after Clancy withdrew in order to nurse a slight calf niggle.
Hills pushed forward as an orthodox winger and one cross flashed just over Warlow's head at the far post.
With the game up, both camps used all three substitutes as if to give everybody a run in the sun.
Howie, a veteran of 400 Football League outings, showed his true ability by denying Wilde twice and Beattie. Counterpart Danny Hurst wasn't extended until nine minutes from time, when he flicked over a free-kick from big ungainly frontman Jack Defty.
Fleetwood: Hurst, Beeley, Mercer,Taylor, Hills, Beattie, Milligan, Connors (Pond 74 mins), Clancy (Elderton 52), Wilde (Bell 78), Warlow.
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Weather for Blackpool
Monday 13 February 2012
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