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Wilde finishes Town's season in style
Mike Wilde ensured that Fleetwood Town finished their debut Blue Square North season in style with a hat-trick at one-time play-off hopefuls Droylsden.
It meant that Town finished their first ever season in the second tier of non-League football in a commendable eighth place.
It was typical of the gritty determination manager Micky Mellon has instilled into his side that they refused to take the easy option of playing out the season in the spring sunshine.
Instead, Fleetwood battled to the last having needed only 16 minutes to take the lead, when Wilde brought the game to life by seizing on Jamie Milligan's quick free-kick to cut through the middle and slot the ball past keeper Craig Mawson.
With Chris Williams and Sean Clancy combining neatly in the middle, Fleetwood's confidence grew as the half progressed.
However, Clancy missed a golden opportunity when his lob over the advancing Mawson cleared the bar after half an hour.
Shaun Newton and Tony Gray then linked up at the other end but the latter could only head wide.
Wilde then fired straight at Mawson instead of picking out his strike partner Adam Warlow.
But Droylsden were forcing their way back into the contest, and after the unmarked Jamie McGuire's header had been met with an excellent save from Danny Hurst, the home side did fire an equaliser just before the break through Mike Byron.
Mellon's half-time talk again did the trick as Wilde needed only two minutes to restore his side's lead.
Milligan, who was busy and creative all afternoon, supplied the frontman with a header which was the pick of his trio.
That sparked the splendid 150-strong travelling Cod Army into song and they wouldn't quieten down until long after the final whistle.
Nathan Pond had a chance to cap a strong performance with a goal but pushed his shot wide on the hour.
A late offside flag minutes later denied Rory Patterson the chance of a one-on-one with Hurst, while at the other end John Hills did his best not to be put off by a Cod Army conga behind Mawson's goal.
The left-back found himself in unfamiliar territory in the penalty area from Wilde's lay-off but a cruel deflection helped the keeper to save his shot.
Substitute Andy Bell didn't take long to threaten Mawson's goal with a header and Warlow was also unlucky not to add to his goal tally.
Droylsden seemed to be looking forward to the final whistle when Wilde wrapped up the points and his hat-trick with five minutes remaining.
Warlow's knockdown from a delicate chip into the box by Michael Taylor sparked a scramble. Pond and Wilde both pounced but it was the striker who got the decisive toe-poke to join to Bell, Kevin Leadbetter and Clancy in having a hat-trick to his name this season.
Everyone at Butcher's Field associated with Fleetwood Town left the ground on Saturday already relishing the next campaign.
Town: Hurst, Beeley, Hills, Mercer, Taylor, Pond, Clancy, Milligan (c), Wilde (Leadbetter), Adam Warlow, Williams (Bell); subs not used: Hale (GK), Penswick, Elderton.
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Weather for Blackpool
Monday 13 February 2012
Today
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Temperature: 4 C to 8 C
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