Marcus Braddock previews the New Year Day game at home to Fleetwood To
Our first game of 2019 sees us welcome Fleetwood Town, managed by Joey Barton. Barton is in his first management post after a playing career that took him to Manchester City, Newcastle United and Rangers. His team have had a mixed collection results that have left them in 11th place with 33 points from nine wins, six draws and ten defeats. Their last five games in the league have seen them win twice and lose three times conceding nine goals and scoring seven. Their last away win in League One was a 4-0 thumping of Doncaster in early October but they have beaten Guiseley and Alfreton away in the F.A. Cup since then.
Top Scorer
Paddy Madden with 13 in all competitions. The 28-year-old striker joined the Cod Army this time last year for a fee in the region of £150,000. Since signing, the Irish goalscorer has scored 16 League goals and three in cup competitions. Before joining Fleetwood he spent four years with Scunthorpe, scoring 160 times from 196 appearances in all competitions. Before that he had a rather prolific two spells with Yeovil scoring nine times in fifteen league games on loan from Carlisle and then thirteen from 29 games as a permanent signing.
Form
LWLWL
Clean Sheets
Four at home and four on the road.
Assists
Ashley Hunter 9
Paddy Madden 5
Ched Evans 4
Away Stats (league)
Fleetwood have earned an average of 0.92 points per away game this season and have scored an average of 1.17 goals per game.
They concede a relatively miserly 1.08 goals per away game which is better then the League One average of 1.17.
Their best period of the game in away games has been the second fifteen minutes of the first half with five scored and 1 conceded. The first half of away games is the most productive for Fleetwood away from home with 71% of their goals. The second half sees them score less and concede more with 62% of their goals conceded.
Referee - Alan Young from Cambridgeshire. Games this season: 12. Yellow cards: 88. Red cards: 3.
Assistant Referees: Christopher Husband and Matthew Jones
Fourth Official: Joe Simpson
Team News
Midfielder Dean Marney will miss out after his sending off at home to Portsmouth.
Shaun Whalley is out with a hamstring injury and Charlie Colkett has returned to Chelsea.
Summary
After a really positive result at Sunderland we dropped a little in the league and could do with three points to keep us out of immediate danger. Our home form and Fleetwood's away form suggest that the points may go to the home team. However, the Cod Army will want to put their 5-2 defeat at home to Portsmouth out of their minds and I expect a reaction to that in the way Fleetwood play. They have the players to do exactly that but if we keep the same level as we did at the Stadium of Light, we can get the result we all want.
COYB!!!