Northampton Town 1 Fleetwood Town 0: Highbury old boy Bolger haunts former club with winning goal

Fleetwood Town missed the chance to climb back into the League One play-off places as Cod Army old boy Cian Bolger netted the only goal at Sixfields.
Cian Bolger heads the Cobblers' winner against his former clubCian Bolger heads the Cobblers' winner against his former club
Cian Bolger heads the Cobblers' winner against his former club
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Bolger, facing Fleetwood for the first time since leaving the club for Lincoln City almost two years ago, flashed home a close-range header from a corner early in the second half.

The Cod Army’s fifth defeat in seven games on their travels this season was harsh on the visitors, who bossed the first half only for Cobblers keeper Steve Arnold to make two superb saves to thwart Ched Evans.

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But Town were unable to find a response after going behind as they failed to capitalise on promotion rivals Portsmouth, Sunderland and Ipswich Town all dropping points, slipping a place to eighth in the process.

Joey Barton made three changes to the side which started Friday's 1-1 draw with Sunderland, recalling Paul Coutts, Ched Evans and Glenn Whelan.

Tackles flew in during a tetchy opening 15 minutes with Cod Army captain Coutts booked for catching Sam Hoskins before the skipper was himself the victim of a late challenge that saw former Fleetwood midfielder Jack Sowerby enter the referee’s notebook.

The visitors started to assert their authority on proceedings as they created three quickfire openings before the 20-minute mark.

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Top scorer Callum Camps was at the centre of the first two, volleying just wide from 20 yards after the Cobblers half-cleared a cross.

Camps then laid off an Evans knockdown to Sam Finley, whose shot was deflected for a corner.

Evans then went the closest yet to breaking the deadlock, collecting Danny Andrew’s long ball and turning smartly before unleashing a fierce near-post shot that Arnold tipped wide superbly.

Camps was booked for dissent after arguing he had been fouled before Evans went close again on 39 minutes.

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The striker won a free-kick on the edge of the box and found a gap in the wall only for Arnold to produce another good low stop near his post.

By contrast, Fleetwood keeper Jayson Leutwiler barely had a shot to save in the first half but he was left picking the ball out of the back of his net just two minutes into the second period.

Bolger, who scored 13 times in 108 Fleetwood appearances during two and a half years at Highbury, timed his run perfectly to bullet home from Nicky Adams’ inswinging corner.

There were no muted celebrations from the delighted centre-half, who appealed for a penalty for a push by Callum Connolly soon after but referee Trevor Kettle was unmoved.

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Fleetwood were unable to create as many clear-cut opportunities as they had in the first half as they sought an equaliser, although Evans poked a Coutts cross straight at Arnold on the stretch.

Barton brought on all five permitted substitutes – and one, Wes Burns, teed up Fleetwood’s best chance of rescuing a point by heading down to Finley but he drilled wide from just inside the box.

Northampton almost sealed the points as Leutwiler got down well to parry Danny Rose’s shot before heavy late Fleetwood pressure failed to yield a leveller as the Cod Army suffered a fourth defeat in five visits to the Sixfields Stadium.

Fleetwood: Leutwiler, Edwards (Burns 75), Connolly (Rossiter 85), Mulgrew, Andrew, Coutts (McKay 68), Whelan, Camps (Duffy 75), Finley (Morris 84), Evans, Madden; Subs not used: Cairns, Hill.

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Northampton: Arnold, Bolger, Horsfall, Sheehan, Harriman, McWilliams, Sowerby, Adams |(Missilou 77), Hoskins, Smith (Rose 82), Ashley-Seal (Marshall 68); subs not used: Watson, Mitchell, Lines, Holmes.

Referee: Trevor Kettle.

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