Ipswich Town play their final League One game of the season tomorrow, against Fleetwood Town at Portman Road, 12 noon kick-off. MIKE BACON takes a look at the opposition.
TOUGH NUTS FLEETWOOD
Fleetwood Town are proving tough nuts to crack.
Last Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Milton Keynes Dons was boss Simon Grayson's 20th match in charge since arriving at Highbury at the end of January.
His team have performed solidly at the back in that time, conceding only 20 goals – five of those in one game at Burton Albion two weeks ago.
Only three sides in League One have conceded fewer goals than Fleetwood's 43 this season – champions Hull City (37) and top-six duo Blackpool (37) and Sunderland (41).
Ipswich have conceded 45.
LAST TIME
Fleetwood extended their impressive run under, then new boss, Grayson as they saw off Ipswich 2-0 back in March.
Callum Connolly and Gerard Garner were on target for the hosts as they stretched their unbeaten run to six matches.
Fleetwood went in front in the ninth minute when skipper Connolly rose highest to head home direct from James Hill's long throw-in.
The second goal arrived in the 57th minute as Garner fired home left-footed from 18 yards after meeting Vassell's tidy pass.
YOUNG GUNS EXCELLING
Both Ipswich and Fleetwood currently have a good crop of U18 players.
Ipswich are in the semi-finals of the FA Youth Cup, where they will meet Liverpool next week, while Fleetwood's U18s have been crowned champions of the EFL North West Youth Alliance.
ED SHERAN is Town's new shirt sponsor
Fleetwood still have one game to play in their season but can no longer be caught after leap-frogging Carlisle United and Rochdale to take top spot.
The Cod Army have won the division despite opposition from Championship Preston North End and a host of other League One and League Two clubs, including local rivals Blackpool.
THE BOSS
Fleetwood boss Simon Grayson was a right back as a player, in a near 20-year career that saw him begin at Leeds, before playing in the Premier League for Leicester, Villa and Blackburn.
As a manager, he started out at Fleetwood's neighbours, Blackpool, before managing Leeds United for four seasons where he had much success.
The Elland Road club were in League One when he took over in 2008 and he guided them into the Championship two seasons later.
However, he couldn't get them into the Premiership and although he had a win ratio of almost 50% while boss at Leeds, he was dismissed in February 2012. A move to Preston saw him guide the Lilywhites into the Championship, but interest from Sunderland saw him join them in 2017.
That never worked out and after short spells at Bradford and Blackpool, again, he finds himself at Fleetwood.
DID YOU KNOW?
When young, John Lennon spent his childhood summer holidays in Fleetwood with a cousin who lived in the town, returning to the town in August 1962 when the Beatles played at the Marine Hall.
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