Fleetwood Town

On Tuesday night Fleetwood knocked Arsenal, the Premier League champions, out of the Carabao Cup. On Saturday they had 21 shots at Highbury. Bristol Rovers had four, and only one of them was on target. The 3-1 scoreline was no more than the home side deserved.

It could have come much sooner. Shaun Rooney picked out Aaron Loupalo-Bi, on loan from Fulham, and he hit the bar from close range in the fifth minute, and Rhys Bennett and Mark Helm both went close before half an hour was up. Rovers' only real chance of the half was a Jack Sparkes shot on the break that went wide.

The bar, then the breakthrough

The breakthrough came eight minutes before the interval. Helm picked out Loupalo-Bi in the middle of the box, and this time he rolled it into the bottom left corner.

Rovers made a change at half-time, sending on Joe Quigley for Shaq Forde. It made no difference. Fleetwood kept crossing, and Brad Young was kept busy in the Rovers goal. Ronan Coughlan forced him into three saves with headers from Crispin McLean's deliveries, and a fourth from distance.

Bennett, who'd been booked in the 10th minute and needed treatment a few minutes later, made it two on 59 minutes. Harrison Neal crossed and Bennett headed into the top of the net from the centre of the box.

A late scare, then a late reply

Rovers sent on Reiss-Alexander Russell-Denny and Philip Sanyaolu just after the hour, and Russell-Denny gave the visitors a sniff with six minutes left. Clinton Mola set him up wide on the left, and his looping cross floated over Jay Lynch and into the net at the far post.

Fleetwood didn't let it get nervy. Josh Robertson, on for McLean in the 85th minute, settled it five minutes after coming on. Will Davies set him up on a fast break, and Robertson finished low into the bottom left corner from the centre of the box.

By the end it was 21 shots to four, eight on target to one. It was a performance Fleetwood will want to repeat, and one Rovers will want to forget.

Matt Lawlor's side had beaten Arsenal on penalties in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday, and he was determined there would be no hangover.

To make history on Tuesday night was incredible for everyone involved in the football club, but we wanted to make sure that we followed that up with a win today. When Grimsby beat Manchester United last season, they then lost their game at the weekend and we didn't want that, so I was really pleased that we've been able to get the win.

Matt Lawlor, Fleetwood manager

Azza (Aaron Loupalo-Bi) rounded the keeper and hit the bar early on and then Batts (Jake Batty) missed a one on one at the end so it could really have been five or six.

Matt Lawlor, Fleetwood manager

"Don't tell me this is a Steve Evans team"

Rovers were without the suspended Tommy Leigh and Kofi Balmer, and four more were injured. Evans wouldn't call it an excuse, but he made the point anyway.

Well, I don't think we deserved anything. I think first half was, It was hard for us. They've obviously got a lot of that momentum, but we didn't work to the plan that we'd worked on for a couple of days and talked them through.

Steve Evans, Bristol Rovers manager

How many of them would start for them? I suggest six or seven. So don't tell me this is a Steve Evans team, because it's not.

Steve Evans, Bristol Rovers manager