Fleetwood Town Under-18s win league title

Town still have one game to play in their season but can no longer be caught after leap-frogging Carlisle United and Rochdale to take top spot.

The Cod Army have won the division despite opposition from Championship Preston North End and a host of other League One and League Two clubs, including local rivals Blackpool.

A 2-1 win over Shrewsbury Town yesterday gave the Under-18s the three points they needed to secure the trophy.

Enoch Takpe opened the scoring early in the second half.

The Shrews drew level before a spectacular 40 -yard effort from

Cian Hayes gave Town an advantage they held on to with determination.

Hayes recently signed a two-year professional deal at Highbury and will go into Stephen Crainey’s development squad for next season.

Danny Edwards, Sam Bird, Akiel Raffie, Billy Batch and Ben Thompson have also signed their first pro deals for the next one or two seasons, while Harry Wilson has signed a three-year-deal.

Announcing the U18 retained list last week, head of academy Jack Higgins said: “We are really pleased to see these players awarded professional contracts and move into the Under-23s group next season. All the boys have had different journeys throughout their scholarships but have shown the determination, ability, and consistency to progress towards the next stage.”

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