Wanderers booked their place in the last-32 of the Bristol Street Motors Trophy as group winners thanks to a double from Aaron Collins, writes Pete Oliver.
The Whites were closing in on the point they needed to go through – thanks to defeat for Aston Villa’s U21s in their final game – when Collins made sure with a stoppage-time winner.
Collins’ goal, turned in from close range, secured a guaranteed home tie for Ian Evatt’s men in the first knock-out round while also ending Fleetwood’s hopes of going through.
A second-half equaliser from Ryan Graydon was only minutes away from setting up a penalty shoot-out which could have brought Town the bonus point they needed to also secure a top-two spot.
But Collins ultimately proved the difference as Wanderers bounced back from their beating at Stockport County to start their preparations for a big League One game at home to Blackpool on Saturday-week on a positive note.
The forward’s first goal was a cracker on a night it needed something special to beat Fleetwood’s rookie keeper Luke Hewitson.
And Wanderers also had other highlights on a tricky evening in the shape of an excellent full debut from Academy midfielder Sonny Sharples-Ahmed and an impressive first start of the season for fit-again defender Gethin Jones.
The vice-captain managed to complete a full 90 minutes, having returned to action as a substitute in the weekend’s let-down at Edgeley Park.
Wanderers retained six of the players that started the defeat at Stockport and it was one of them, Victor Adeboyejo, who almost fired the Whites into an early lead with an overhead kick well saved by Hewitson.
The former Liverpool youngster made the most of his debut and pulled off another fine stop to keep out a deflected Randall Williams’ free-kick moments before Wanderers went ahead after 25 minutes.
From the corner that followed Hewitson’s reflex save, the ball was cleared only as far as Collins, who struck with a superb 25-yard half-volley which flew into the bottom corner of the net.
Fleetwood also fielded a decent line-up as they looked to try and advance in the competition and give themselves a confidence-booster and they could have led through a chance for Ryan Graydon, who fired over the top from close range.
But in a positive start to the second half the League Two side did find the target to level as moments after Kian Harratt had hit a post, Graydon arrived in the box in similar style and this time saw his deflected effort loop past Nathan Baxter.
That increased Fleetwood’s belief and briefly wobbled Wanderers’, although the Whites had a decent penalty shout for a pull on Williams before substitute John McAtee should have scored with his first touch after a typical run and cross from the Jones with just over a quarter of an hour to go.
McAtee did nothing wrong with his second sight of goal five minutes later with a superb swerving strike but Hewitson was equal to it to make a stunning save.
And after Baxter had saved at the other end from Graydon, the League Two side were within touching distance of a potentially pivotal shoot-out when Collins struck again.
Sharples-Ahmed capped his fine night’s work with a lovely diagonal ball beyond the far post where McAtee’s cushioned pass dropped perfectly for Collins to convert his third goal of the group stage as Wanderers passed a test of character ahead of the real examinations to come.
Wanderers: Baxter; Jones, Forrester, Johnston; Dacres-Cogley, Matete, Sharples-Ahmed, Williams; Lolos (McAtee 73); Collins, Adeboyejo. Substitutes: Hutchinson (GK), Andreucci, Matheson, Inwood, Lewis, Irwin.
Booked: Forrester
Fleetwood Town: Hewitson; Shaw, Potter (Bolton 77), Hughes; Johnston, Virtue, Helm, Patterson; Broom, Harratt (Odubeko, 69), Graydon. Substitutes: Bellizia (GK), Mayor, Devonport, Smith, McLean.
Booked: Hughes, Patterson
Referee: Elliot Bell
Attendance: 1,607 (113 away)