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Fleetwood Town
League Two | Gameweek 23
Dec 29, 2024 at 3pm UK
Highbury Stadium
Harrogate Town

Fleetwood
vs.
Harrogate

Preview: Fleetwood Town vs. Harrogate Town - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Sunday's League Two clash between Fleetwood Town and Harrogate Town, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Fleetwood Town can win consecutive League Two home fixtures for the first time all season as they end 2024 by hosting Harrogate Town on Sunday from Highbury Stadium.

On Boxing Day, the Cod Army jumped to 16th in the table thanks to a 2-0 victory over Chesterfield, while Harrogate are 20th, following a narrow 2-1 defeat at Grimsby Town.


Match preview

Fleetwood Town's Carl Johnston during his side's match against Morecambe, September 23, 2024© Imago

With Pete Wild watching from the stands, his new Fleetwood players made a solid first impression on their new boss, winning for the sixth time domestically in 2024-25.

That ended the club's six-match losing run across all competitions, with 15 of their 26 points this season coming at Highbury Stadium.

After 20 league games, the Fishermen have accumulated nine points fewer than they had at this stage of their previous League Two campaign in 2013-14.

Finding the back of the net at Highbury Stadium has been a tall task for them domestically thus far, with this side scoring the third-fewest goals in League Two at home this season (11 in 11 matches).

They have lost their final football league fixture in a calendar year on three consecutive occasions, which is as many defeats as they suffered in their first such nine games to end a year.

Seven of their last nine football league meetings against sides from Yorkshire have ended in defeat for the club from Lancashire, including their previous one versus Doncaster Rovers earlier this month (4-2).

Warren Burrell of Harrogate Town in action on March 12. 2024© Imago

A miserable month at Harrogate Town will end this weekend, with this side losing all five of their domestic encounters in December.

That poor form has seen them inch closer to the bottom of the table, currently just four points above the relegation line.

Their 18 goals scored are the second-fewest among sides in the fourth tier of English football this season, nine of which came away from home.

Simon Weaver's men have suffered three successive away defeats in League Two, and another one on Sunday would mark their longest losing run as the visitors in this competition since the 2022-23 season (four).

Since a 2-1 victory versus Oldham Athletic in 2020, the Yorkshire-based club have lost their final league game in a calendar year on three successive occasions, failing to score in each of those instances.

Sunday will be the first time they face Fleetwood in the football league, with Harrogate losing their three previous matches against them when they both featured in the Conference North.

Fleetwood Town League Two form:

Harrogate Town League Two form:


Harrogate Town form (all competitions):



Team News

Ryan Graydon of Fleetwood Town pictured on November 2, 2024© Imago

This weekend, the Cod Army could be without Zech Medley, who is recovering from an Achilles tendon injury, while Brendan Wiredu, Elliot Bonds and Carl Johnston were the three newcomers to their starting 11 on Boxing Day and Jay Lynch played the final 15 minutes in place of fellow goalkeeper David Harrington.

Matty Virtue netted the winner against Chesterfield, with Huddersfield Town loanee Kian Harratt adding an insurance marker three minutes from the end.

On Wednesday, Harrogate were missing Josh March through suspension, and Toby Sims was dropped to the bench, with James Daly and Stephen Duke-McKenna taking their places in the starting 11.

Duke-McKenna, meanwhile, had a consolation goal for his team late in the second half, his first of the 2024-25 League Two season.


Fleetwood Town possible starting lineup:
Lynch; Bennett, Bolton, Potter; Shaw; Broom, Patterson, Virtue, Mayor; Harratt, Graydon

Harrogate Town possible starting lineup:
Belshaw; Sims, O'Connor, Moon, Foulds; Sutton, Dooley; Folarin, M. Daly, Muldoon; J. Daly


SM words green background

We say: Fleetwood Town 1-0 Harrogate Town

Fleetwood are coming off a strong defensive showing and will be keen to impress their new boss once again, which is why we expect they will end the year positively.



For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.


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Written by
Joel Lefevre

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Data Failed

Who will win Sunday's League Two clash between Fleetwood and Harrogate?

Fleetwood Town
Draw
Harrogate Town
Fleetwood Town
66.7%
Draw
33.3%
Harrogate Town
0.0%
3
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13Gillingham219392220230
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15Colchester UnitedColchester2151152522326
16Fleetwood TownFleetwood206862625126
17BarrowBarrow217592021-126
18Newport CountyNewport217592936-726
19Tranmere RoversTranmere205691529-1421
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21Swindon TownSwindon2248102736-920
22Accrington StanleyAccrington204792636-1019
23Morecambe2245132038-1817
24Carlisle UnitedCarlisle2136121533-1815


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