FA Cup: Cambridge 1 Fleetwood 0

Neither side created anything worth writing home about in a combative but dour first half at the Abbey Stadium.

It wasn’t a cup tie to write home about, a soft Jeff Hughes header the best either side could offer.

The second half offered little improvement, neither keeper really tested.

But the balance did eventually swing in the home side’s favour.

Jamie Proctor had only been on the field a matter of minutes when he saw red for his part in a scrap on the edge of the area.

Down to 10 men Town were stretched and pushing for a winner they were caught on the break.

Steven Schumacher lost the ball in his own half, Robbie Simpson breaking quickly for the home side, sliding a neat pass through to Kwesi Appiah, the on-loan Crystal Palace man with a neat finish past Chris Maxwell.

Tom Hithcock could have levelled almost immediately, Jeff Hughes losing his man down the left, a bullet header from the striker but Chris Dunn with a superb save to deny Fleetwood an equaliser.

Town needed an FA Cup hero and Stephen Dobbie almost obliged, breaking through the middle but unable to get power on his shot - a seventh consecutive away defeat ensuring Town’s cup exit.