Fleetwood skipper Pond prepares for triple test

Captain Nathan Pond says Fleetwood Town must prepare for three tough tests before the season kicks off.
Nathan PondNathan Pond
Nathan Pond

Fleetwood face a Championship double header, with a visit to former boss Micky Mellon’s Tranmere Rovers sandwiched between.

Town host Bolton, the side that pipped them to automatic promotion last term, at Highbury tomorrow before travelling to National League play-off finalists Tranmere on Tuesday.

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And Preston lad Pond is also looking forward to ending pre-season with a Friday night clash against hometown club PNE next Friday.

Pond said: We have three tough games, two against Championship clubs. All we can do is keep improving and working hard each day.”

“Tranmere will be tough too. I watched them in the play-off final and they have some Fleetwood connections, so they will be very up for that game. It will be a tough physical game as well.”

Mellon was Town’s first-ever full-time manager, leading the club into the Football League during his four-year reign.

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n Fleetwood’s new right wing-back Lewie Coyle believes he is ready to fill the void left by Conor McLaughlin.

Coyle, signed on a season-long loan from Leeds, has slotted seamlessly into Town’s team during pre-season, scoring a rare winner against Queen of the South a fortnight ago.

The 21-year-old has since got to know his new team-mates better in Austria and is aiming to take up the mantle of Northern Ireland international McLaughlin, now with Millwall.

Coyle said: “Obviously I knew Fleetwood were flying last season and Conor was a huge factor behind the team’s success, but I am most willing to step up and fill those boots.”