Match ends, Fleetwood Town 3, Burton Albion 0.
Burton Albion clung on to their League One status despite a final-day defeat against Fleetwood Town as Cheltenham Town failed to get the win they needed to leapfrog the Brewers.
Victory for Burton would have seen them avoid relegation no matter how Cheltenham fared at Stevenage.
But the Brewers were second best throughout on their trip to face the already relegated Cod Army, a Carl Johnston strike and a magnificent Phoenix Patterson free-kick putting the hosts on the way to a 2-0 half-time lead.
The Brewers improved slightly after the interval but rarely looked like mounting a comeback, meaning they were left nervously awaiting developments in Hertfordshire, where the Robins fought back from a 1-0 half-time deficit to level at 1-1 early in the second period.
Back in Lancashire, Tom Lonergan wrapped up victory for Fleetwood when he tapped in a third but a chastening defeat did not matter as Cheltenham conceded a 90th-minute goal to lose 2-1 and spark joyous scenes of celebration for the travelling Brewers fans during 10 minutes of injury-time.
The final-day conundrum
The pre-match omens had looked pretty good for the Brewers, Fleetwood having won only twice in their previous nine league games and their 20 points won at home being the second-worst in the division.
But avoiding unnecessary nerve-jangling drama was not in the script for Martin Paterson's side.
Even a draw would have left the door ajar for Cheltenham to secure safety with victory at Stevenage - with only a highly unlikely sequence of results sucking Cambridge United into the equation.
But Burton failed to muster an attempt on target before the break and rarely threatened to force a draw - or halt a miserable away run which sees them end their League One season with just three wins from their past 16 games on the road.
Fleetwood played with freedom and after Burton's Bobby Kamwa had a deflected effort sail wide of the post, the hosts seized control.
Johnston's fine opener on the break, following a surging run from Ryan Graydon, rewarded their dominance and it was 2-0 just after the half-hour when winger Patterson smashed a right-footed free-kick into the top corner.
The visitors livened up somewhat in the second half, Kamwa finally managing an effort on target when his curled effort was pushed away by keeper David Harrington.
Mason Bennett then went close with a strike that was a fraction wide but the threat was short-lived and Lonergan made it 3-0 when he scored from on the line after Ronan Coughlan dinked the ball over Max Crocombe from a tight angle.
Line-ups
Fleetwood
Formation 3-5-2
- 23Harrington
- 26Rooney
- 16HeneghanSubstituted forPotterat 8'minutes
- 4Sarpong-Wiredu
- 2Johnston
- 8KilkennySubstituted forMayorat 64'minutes
- 5LawalSubstituted forDolanat 83'minutes
- 17SimonsSubstituted forQuitirnaat 90+9'minutes
- 44Patterson
- 20OmochereSubstituted forLonerganat 64'minutes
- 19GraydonSubstituted forCoughlanat 64'minutes
Substitutes
- 10Mayor
- 14Lonergan
- 15Quitirna
- 22Dolan
- 30McMullan
- 32Potter
- 33Coughlan
Burton
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Crocombe
- 12Moon
- 5Hughes
- 6SweeneyBooked at 85mins
- 3Seddon
- 4OshilajaSubstituted forBrayfordat 90+6'minutes
- 8HarperSubstituted forNsialaat 75'minutes
- 18KamwaSubstituted forScottat 65'minutesBooked at 89mins
- 17HelmBooked at 25mins
- 21CarayolSubstituted forHugillat 50'minutes
- 11BennettBooked at 23mins
Substitutes
- 2Brayford
- 20Ola-Adebomi
- 25Gilligan
- 30Blackman
- 38Scott
- 44Hugill
- 46Nsiala
- Referee:
- Simon Mather
- Attendance:
- 3,397
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home55%
- Away45%
- Shots
- Home15
- Away13
- Shots on Target
- Home7
- Away3
- Corners
- Home4
- Away5
- Fouls
- Home9
- Away10
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Fleetwood Town 3, Burton Albion 0.
Substitution
Substitution, Fleetwood Town. Junior Quitirna replaces Xavier Simons.
Post update
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Substitution
Substitution, Burton Albion. John Brayford replaces Adedeji Oshilaja because of an injury.
Post update
Delay in match (Fleetwood Town).
Post update
Attempt missed. Mark Helm (Burton Albion) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left.
Post update
Corner, Burton Albion. Conceded by Finley Potter.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Sam Hughes (Burton Albion) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Steve Seddon with a cross.
Post update
Foul by Tom Lonergan (Fleetwood Town).
Post update
Adedeji Oshilaja (Burton Albion) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Booking
Dylan Scott (Burton Albion) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Carl Johnston (Fleetwood Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by Dylan Scott (Burton Albion).
Post update
Brendan Sarpong-Wiredu (Fleetwood Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Mason Bennett (Burton Albion).
Post update
Corner, Fleetwood Town. Conceded by Jasper Moon.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Ronan Coughlan (Fleetwood Town) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Tom Lonergan.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Tom Lonergan (Fleetwood Town) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Phoenix Patterson with a cross.
Booking
Ryan Sweeney (Burton Albion) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Comments
Join the conversation
Burton can count themselves extremely fortunate to still have their League One status today.
There is a lot to do though over the close season as Burton have really struggled since February, but for now they have done what they needed to.
Need a manager with more experience at league one level.
Unfortunately, too little too late
Get someone who can take pens ( P boro away) for next season
Reckon you’ll bounce back up
Best going forward
A Pompey fan
BTW BBC - any chance of an HYS on ALL the games - poor media work at the moment
PUP
Of late, Brewers lost to all four teams relegated, but their relegation angel strikes again, @ Stevenage!
Thanks to Fletch’n Web for Radio Derby's commentaries, their banter’s more entertaining than yon footy! Good luck to the Rams upstairs!