Cole aims to fire Town to FA Cup history

The stadium has had a facelift since Andy Cole’s 20-goal stint in the 1992/93 season.

Now his 21-year-old son is hoping to stage a giantkilling act by knocking out the Championship club and sealing Town’s passage into the fourth round for the first time in their history.

In fact it is only the second time Fleetwood have reached the third round after their first attempt ended in a 5-1 home defeat to then Championship club Blackpool in 2012.

But, five years on, Fleetwood have risen from non-league to League One with Uwe Rosler’s men on an 11-game unbeaten run and lying sixth in the table.

In contrast, Lee Johnson’s City players are fighting it out at the wrong end of the Championship after losing nine of their last 10 games.

And Cole says it could be good timing.

He said: “It is a big game for the club.

“If we win it will be the first time the club has ever got into the fourth round.

“I think it is a game where we think we really have a chance.

“They are not in great form and we are in great form, so I feel like anything can happen.

“It will never be easy going to the league above and I feel like teams in the Championship will go there and not get a result. So it will be a tough game and we have just got to go there and do our best.

“I don’t think you can ever afford to relax because then you will slip up, so we will just keep on going.”

Cole scored his first league goal of the season in Fleetwood’s 1-0 win over Shrewsbury, having scored twice against them in the FA Cup second round replay.

That broke a 19-game goal drought, clinched Town’s 3-2 comeback win and secured the date with City.

The ex-Barnsley, Bradford and MK Dons forward has picked up nine assists so far this term.

His ambitions for the rest of the season, however, are to remain in Rosler’s thoughts for a starting spot and to help the club continue their progress.

Cole said: “Looking forward (my goals for 2017) would be stay in the team, stay fit and keep scoring goals like I have been doing recently just see whatever that brings – see whether we can push for the play-offs, which we are in now.

“Hopefully we can get there and see what happens in the cups.”

Now he is back in the goals Cole wants to keep it up.

He said: “Scoring goals is something I have always done but here I haven’t really got the goals I should have.

“But now I’m on a run again hopefully I can go and put a few more away.”