Fleetwood Town defeat Blackpool on penalties after goalless Trophy tie

Matty Virtue made his return for Blackpool, starting in the centre of midfield and completed 45 minutes in a tight affair.

As expected both sides made wholesale changes from their League One clash four days earlier, which Blackpool won courtesy of Gary Madine's strike.

Blackpool started this rematch on the front foot, with plenty of energy in their press, but it was the home side who had the first chance.

Paul Coutts sent the ball into the area nine minutes in and Harvey Saunders met it 12 yards out but the young striker failed to hit the target.

The Cod Army grew into the game and pressed the issue before Bez Lubala gave Neil Critchley's men their first threatening moment in the tie after 16 minutes.

The winger skipped past a few challenges and opted to shoot from a tight angle rather than square to the supporting cast.

Pool then had a real chance to score, Luke Garbutt curling a cross in from the left. Dan Kemp rose unopposed but he failed to connect properly, the ball bouncing safely into Alex Cairns' hands in the Fleetwood goal.

And it was the visitors who had the best chance of the half just before the half hour mark, Lubala playing a pass through for Keshi Anderson.

He bore down on goal and took the shot on early from outside the area. Cairns was out to smother the ball, which ricocheted off the Blackpool number eight and back to the grateful keeper.

Blackpool continued to ask questions in a tight game without creating anything else that was clear cut, crosses going to waste across goal.

Skipper Ollie Turton received a booking after 39 minutes for a tackle on Saunders.

Jack Sims was forced into his first save of the game just four minutes from the break, Town's wing-backs linking up as Ryan Rydel found Shayden Morris at the far post but the Pool stopper turned his effort behind.

Ethan Robson was a bright spark throughout the first half, keeping things ticking at the base of midfield for Blackpool, and he showed fine feet to make space for a hard-hit drive from distance which Cairns could only parry.

Garbutt had the first chance of the second half, getting on the end of an Ollie Sarkic flick-on but his shot was blocked by the retreating Shayden Morris.

Fleetwood came into the game more, Morris this time going forward and getting to the edge of the box only to see his shot deflected wide.

Then came the talking point. After 66 minutes Saunders chased down a long ball over the top, got the wrong side of Jordan Thorniley and went down under contact. The resulting protests from Joey Barton saw him booked as the penalty appeal was waved away.

Pool's best chance of the half came from a set-piece after 71 minutes, the visitors keeping the ball alive for substitute MJ Williams to volley hard but he couldn't find the net.

The home side were almost reduced to 10 men six minutes later, Paddy Madden bringing Dan Kemp down as he looked to break. The Town striker went into the book before kicking the ball away and getting a long talking-to from the referee.

Four minutes from time, Fleetwood almost had a winner. Pool failed to meet the ball from a corner and James Hill headed over at the far post.

Pool dug in for the final minutes and repelled the hosts, Daniel Gretarsson making an important slide tackle on the edge of his own six-yard box as Fleetwood crossed from the right.

With nothing to split the two sides, penalties were needed and it was Ethan Robson's miss that proved decisive, his tame effort saved by Cairns.

Coutts, Madden, Evans, McKay and Duffy all converted to put Town into the third round.

Fleetwood: Cairns, Hill, Rydel, Stubbs, Boyes, Coutts, Duffy, Matete (McKay 76), S Morris (Whelan 76), Saunders (Madden 72), Evans; Subs not used: Leutwiler, Burns, J Morris, Holgate.

Blackpool: Sims, Gabriel, Turton, Thorniley (Gretarsson 74), Garbutt, Robson, Virtue (Williams 45), Anderson (Michell 63), Kemp, Lubala, Sarkic; Subs not used: Fojticek, Apter, Mariette, Holmes

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