MATCH REPORT: Fleetwood 2 Bury 4

Develpment squad boss Paul Murray fielded a strong side littered with first team players as Town attempted to erase last year's bad memories.

Last term Town lost to Liverpool at the County Ground in Leyland but this season Murray's side faced off against fellow League One side Bury's development side.

Bury will no doubt be playing in League Two next term and so this was a much needed distraction from their league woes.

Fleetwood confirmed their League One status last night and it was a chance for John Sheridan to have a look at some of the first teamers who have not at a shot at regular game time under his reign.

Striker Wes Burns and midfielders George Glendon and Harrison Biggins starting in a 4-3-3 formation to push their cases for minutes in Saturday's crunch derby with Blackpool.

And Burns showed his Football League pedigree early doors with a number of probing runs on the right flank in the opening stages.

He teed up young development squad forward Garner who blasted wide of the right stick.

Though he was just getting his eye in as after another dangerous Burns run the ball fell to Garner at the top of the box and he forced Scott Moloney to tip the ball round the post.

And Fleetwood took the lead from that subsequent set-piece as skipper for the night George Glendon fizzed the ball to Biggins at the top of the box who drilled the ball into the mix. Poacher Garner was the first to pounce deftly diverting the ball into the corner in just the ninth minute.

Bury where not dead and buried though as Chris Maguire nodded the ball straight at Chris Neal. It was to be a warning of what was to come as the Shakers steadied themselves.

Fleetwood were rocked by the loss of goalscorer Garner who was unable to play on after leaving the pitch with blood streaming from his mouth after a collision with Bury's Saul Shotton in the box.

That saw Dan Mooney enter the fray but it was Bury who has the next effort with Town's on-loan Southport defender Nathan Sheron making a strong block to stop Tsun Dai.

But then Fleetwood wasted a huge chance to put the game to bed as Morelli robbed Bury right back Bobby Copping deep in the Shakers half.

He sprinted towards goal but instead of teeing up one of his team mates he ran himself into a wall of Bury bodies and blasted the ball over.

And Town where made to rue that miss as Bury struck in the 27th minute Laurent squared the ball to Joseph Adams at the top of the box and his deflected effort flew past Neal.

But Fleetwood continued to dominate and create more chances with Oliver forcing Moloney into a fine save with a first time effort from a Glendon corner.

Though it was to be Bury who turned the game on its head in the 32nd minute as Chris Maguire was felled by Morelli just inside the box and then dusted himself down to sweep home the spot kick.

Facing defeat for the second time in a row Murray's men came out fighting as Morelli fired an effort just past the post and Oliver latched onto another Glendon set-piece to force Moloney into another save.

Morelli was in the action again but was wasteful once more as his first time strike from a Holgate centre shaved the bar.

Bury should have clinched the cup as Chis Sang sprinted through, the Bury fans thought he had rippled the back of the net but his strike fizzed just past the post as they put their celebrations on ice.

Burns forced Moloney into a smart save but it was Bury's turn to be wasteful in the latter stages in the game as Sang saw his effort somehow blocked by Town with Adams blazing the ball over after dancing into the box.

But Adams was to make up for that miss in the 74th minute as he stole the show with a spectacular chip from the left wing. The Bury man spotted Neal off his line and looped the ball over the shot-stopper to dash Fleetwood's hopes of a comeback.

Though Chris Maguire was not to be outdone as he curled a sublime effort past Neal in the 77th minute.

Fleetwood did though finally add to their tally in the 87th minute as Burns orchestrated a chance for Mooney. The forward found himself with his back to goal in the box and unselfishly squared to Mooney who coolly lifted the ball home.

But it was too little too late for Fleetwood who were left to contemplate what might have been, as yet again they watched on again as their opponents lifted the trophy.

Fleetwood: Neal, Holgate, Oliver, Sheron, Maguire, Glendon, Biggins, Schwabl (Rydel, 87), Morelli, Garner (Mooney, 20), Burns. Subs: Crellin, Des Pres, Baines, Rydel.Bury: Moloney, Nyaupembe, Hatton, Tutte, Shotton, Copping, Dai, Laurent, Sang, Maguire, Adams. Subs: Edwards-Williams, Hill, Sadler, Seriki, Ondua.