Soccer
Matt Lawlor urges Fleetwood to ‘attack the league’ in late play-off push
Matt Lawlor vowed his Fleetwood side will keep their foot on the gas in their late play-off push after rescuing a point in a 1-1 draw at Swindon.
The Cod Army have lost just once in 11 games and were the better side but trailed to Billy Bodin’s strike just before the interval until Mark Helm’s 57th-minute leveller.
Only a stunning late save from home goalkeeper Connor Ripley denied Fleetwood a win at sluggish Swindon.
Lawlor said: “We are going to attack this league.
“It’s a really, really good league, competitive league, but we are good and the lads need to believe that, and that’s what I want to do. I want to watch football that excites me, excites the fans, and I want to stand there and be proud of a team, which I am today.
“We fully deserved all the three points today, the amount of chances that we created.”
The visitors began stronger with Matty Virtue being slipped into the box to get a shot off, but Ripley got down well.
Swindon did nothing of note until seconds before the break when they found the opener. Michael Olakigbe blew past his man and slung in a deep cross for Aaron Drinan, who headed against the bar before Bodin smacked the rebound into the roof of the net from point-blank range.
Will Davies got the ball in a dangerous position for Fleetwood but hammered just over the bar.
However, Helm levelled in the 57th minute when he gathered the ball on the left, drove into the box and calmly slotted into the far corner.
Ethan Ennis then tried his luck from a tight angle and saw his effort pushed around the post by Ripley, while the Robins keeper also pulled off a stunning save with his legs to deny James Norwood, who looked certain to score.
Swindon boss Ian Holloway broke his self-imposed swearing ban to pick up a booking from the touchline after clashing with the away bench, admitting his frustration with his team’s display.
He said: “Every time I open my mouth, the fourth official seems to hear me. I’m in trouble with Mrs. H. Nobody wants that.
“We weren’t on the front foot enough. We weren’t positive enough. I didn’t even feel like we were going to win at the end.
“So on to the next one, Cambridge away, and that is a must-win game. And we’ve had a few of them, and we haven’t won them, so let’s try and put that right by beating them away.
“What I’m seeing is our lads playing reasonably well, almost good enough to beat someone. And, unfortunately, almost ain’t quite good enough at the minute.”
