Charlie Adam’s Fleetwood Town pulled off one of the night’s biggest upsets

Charlie Adam’s Fleetwood Town delivered one of the most surprising results of the evening, pulling off a major upset that few saw coming.

Fleetwood Town, a League Two underdog, pulled off a remarkable victory after overcoming an early setback when West Brom’s young striker Mo Faal scored just six minutes into his full debut. Faal’s goal came from a well-placed left-footed chip after receiving a through ball from summer signing Devante Cole.

However, Fleetwood quickly responded and equalized six minutes later when Ryan Graydon found the back of the net with a precise right-footed shot from outside the box, thanks to an assist from Danny Mayor. Before this, Fleetwood’s Ryan Broom had already seen a shot cleared off the line, signaling the hosts’ intent to fight back.

The decisive moment came in the 33rd minute when Matty Virtue made a break down the inside-right channel. He skillfully picked out Ronan Coughlan on the left side of the penalty area, who then calmly slotted the ball into the bottom right corner past Albion’s debutant goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith. This goal put Fleetwood ahead, a lead they would hold onto for the remainder of the match.

Despite the pressure, Fleetwood had to endure seven minutes of added time before their victory was confirmed, securing their place in the second round of the competition. Their win was made even more impressive considering they faced an inexperienced and heavily rotated West Brom side, as manager Carlos Corberan had made 11 changes from the team that triumphed 3-1 against QPR in the Championship, where Josh Maja had scored a hat-trick.

West Brom’s best opportunity to level the score came in the 65th minute when Devante Cole, a former Fleetwood striker who was booed by the home fans with every touch, forced a save from Fleetwood’s goalkeeper Jay Lynch. Despite this effort, Fleetwood held firm and completed one of the night’s biggest surprises.