MATCH REPORT: Fleetwood Town 0-0 United

United travelled to Highbury to face Fleetwood Town on Boxing Day.

Manager Paul Simpson handed a first senior start to stopper Gabe Breeze, with his inclusion one of five changes in total from the side that faced Cheltenham Town last time out.

Owen Moxon, Ryan Edmondson, Taylor Charters and Sean Maguire were also named in the starting line-up, as Tomas Holy, Jordan Gibson, Joe Garner, Dylan McGeouch and Luke Plange dropped to the bench.

And it was the Blues who created the first half chance of the game when Charters slipped in Jack Robinson down the left and his cross was flashed into a dangerous area - only to be turned wide by Maguire at the near post.

Jack Marriott then spun and fired wide from range for the hosts before Edmondson flashed a tempting cross narrowly ahead of Charters after a rapid United break.

Clear-cut chances were limited, but the Cumbrians opened the scoring through the first real opportunity of the afternoon. Jack Armer's throw-in was nodded on by Maguire and after Alfie McCalmont saw his effort blocked, Moxon arrowed a stunning effort into the bottom corner from 20 yards. 

But Fleetwood would find a leveller within eight minutes as Phoenix Patterson weaved his way into the area and saw his low cross turned home from six yards out by Jayden Stockley.

That buoyed the hosts who saw plenty of the ball in the remainder of the first half, with McCalmont bravely blocking a powerful Patterson drive from the edge of the area and Bosun Lawal nodding over at the back post following a corner.

United's best opening prior to the interval came after a trademark Jon Mellish run, with the centre back battling his way into the Fleetwood box only to be crowded out as he looked to get a shot away.

The Blues, though, would start the second half strongly and had the first real chance of note after the restart.

Maguire's persistence saw him pinch the ball from Harrison Holgate in the Fleetwood box and he cut it back for Edmondson - whose goal-bound shot was deflected away from harm by the leg of home stopper Jay Lynch.

Carlisle were on top and Armer saw a cross glanced wide by Maguire before Edmondson came agonisingly close - dinking his strike narrowly wide after robbing Lynch of possession.

Simpson introduced Luke Plange and Jordan Gibson in a bid to find a winner and the latter had a big chance within minutes of entering the fray. Robinson kept a corner alive and his clever reverse pass set Gibson away, only for the Fleetwood 'keeper to gather his strike from inside the area at the second attempt.

But openings in the final exchanges of the game were few and far between, although it was the hosts whe enjoyed most of the possession late on.

Wiredu sent a header wide after Stockley's flick-on but Breeze was otherwise left untested as the two sides shared the spoils.

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Goals

Fleetwood Town – Stockley (35)

Carlisle United - Moxon (27)

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Bookings

Fleetwood Town – Wiredu (65)

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Teams

Fleetwood Town – Lynch, Johnston, Wiredu, Lawal, Stockley, Marriott (Tshimanga 73), Heneghan, Holgate (Dolan 64), Earl, Patterson (Hayes 89), Asamoah (Quitirna 64). Subs: McMullan, Teale, Johnson

Carlisle United - Breeze, Armer, Moxon, Lavelle (Barclay 90+6), Edmonson, McCalmont, Charters (Gibson 72), Robinson, Mellish, Maguire (Plange 72), Emmanuel. Subs: Holy, Butterworth, Garner, McGeouch