Fleetwood's Marcus off the mark and hungry for more

Fleetwood Town centre-back Marcus Nilsson is keen to add more goals to his game after heading home his first for the club in Saturday's 2-2 draw with Sheffield United.
Marcus NilssonMarcus Nilsson
Marcus Nilsson

It was also the 28-year-old Swede’s first goal in English football after joining the League One club last month.

The six-foot-four former Helsingborgs IF defender actually scored at both ends, inadvertently diverting Matt Done’s cross past keeper Chris Maxwell – the goal was credited to Done.

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The goal at the right end was only the fourth of the defender’s career, though he is hoping to use his height to find the net more often.

Nilsson said of the Blades’ opener: “The ball came in from the side really fast, and unfortunately I got a touch to it and it went in.

“It was my touch. It was a bit unlucky but Ash Hunter scored an amazing goal for us straight after that.

“I evened it up. I got one in each goal, so I need to be happy about that but I want to add more goals to my game.

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“I want to be up there to help the team. I’ve got the height, so I will just try my best.

“It was a nice feeling (to score my first goal). It was a good ball in from Jimmy Ryan and I just headed it in.”

However, Nilsson was disappointed that his goal didn’t prove the winner.

The Blades won a controversial penalty to draw level in injury-time, denying Town a maximum haul of nine points from the week’s three games.

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The spot-kick was awarded by referee Carl Boyeson for a trip on Ryan Flynn by Amari’i Bell, though Nilsson says it was never a penalty.

He said: “I definitely don’t think it is a penalty and it is so disappointing.

“I thought we played quite well, but after our second goal they pushed on for a goal and unfortunately the ref decides the game.

“They had the ball quite a lot. We were defending but over the last few games we have done that and have taken the three points, so I thought we were unlucky on Saturday, especially with the penalty decision.

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“We had a good go and we would have been really happy with three points.”

It has been a hectic start to Nilsson’s Town English career, thrown in at the deep end due to manager Steven Pressley’s defensive injury crisis.

Pressley had to chop and change at the back once again on Saturday, after a clash of heads in the box forced Joe Davis to the sidelines.

Nilsson says that Davies is OK, despite feeling dizzy at the time and receiving stitches to his head wound.

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Midfielder Eggert Jonsson slotted into the back four seamlessly alongside Nilsson.

After seven games at the back for Town, Nilsson says he has settled in and has grown used to adapting to different situations, just like his team-mates.

He said: “Joe is all right. He got some stitches in his head but he is OK.

“It feels like we are used to it now (losing players to injury) but we have got a good group.

“We train hard and if one guy goes out, another comes in.

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“It takes a while to settle in and to know what the good sides of your own players are but now I feel good.”

Since making his debut in the goalless draw with Shrewsbury a month ago, Nilsson has helped Fleetwood pull five points clear of the relegation zone.

And he says the seven points they picked up in eight days, with wins at Coventry and at home to Gillingham before the draw against Sheffield United, will be crucial as their battle against relegation continues.

He said: “It was important for us to get seven points out of a possible nine because we have been playing some really good teams.

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“They have been tough games for us but we are lucky that we have picked up a lot of points.

“Even though we are towards the bottom of the league, we want to win every game we can and move up.

“We go into every game with the mentality to win, so it doesn’t matter which team we play.

“Saturday was disappointing because we wanted to win against Sheffield United but one point against a good team is OK.”