Story of the season for Fleetwood Town: Cup wins in November but mixed fortunes in league

READ MORE: Madden hat-trick is an October highlight.

Two goals in five first-half minutes by strikers Chris O’Grady and Daryl Murphy were enough to continue a mini-revival for the Trotters - this was their third successive win and their first of the season at home.

It could have been so different had Wes Burns capitalised on Ched Evans’ cross in the opening minute.

As it was, it wasn’t until the 86th minute that Fleetwood gave themselves a lifeline thanks to substitute Josh Morris’ drive from outside the box. But Town had left the comeback too late and slipped a spot to fifth in the table.

Town were not to resume league action for three weeks, though they returned to winning ways in the interim with two cup wins over lower-level opposition.

The FA Cup campaign began with a 2-0 success at non-league Barnet, then Oldham Athletic went down 5-2 at Highbury in the Leasing.com Trophy.

The League Two club perhaps got off lightly as 40 minutes remained when Town scored their fifth, though the hosts then cruised through to the knockout stages.

Fleetwood took this winning form into the league with a 2-1 home success against Micky Mellon’s struggling Tranmere Rovers, Morris’ curling free-kick putting the hosts ahead on 15 minutes.

But although both sides had chances and Kyle Dempsey saw a goal disallowed, it wasn’t until the 82nd minute that Paddy Madden made it two from Lewie Coyle’s cross and Town could breathe more easily.

It was just as well as Rovers pulled one back five minutes later, Paul Mullin applying the finishing touch to Cameron Borthwick-Jackson’s shot, but Town held out and leapfrogged Blackpool for seventh place.

The month ended with boyhood Everton fan Joey Barton fulfilling the dream of taking his Fleetwood team to Goodison Park.

The second round of the Leasing.com Trophy may not have been the occasion the Town boss had dreamed of but his side did a professional job to beat Everton’s Under-21s 4-0.