| Fleetwood Town held their final pre-season friendly to a draw against Bolton Wanderers at Highbury Stadium, with the visitors striking late to cancel out Ched Evans' second-half opener.
The Cods started brightly and created the better chances throughout the contest, with Ronan Coughlan, Lewis McCann, and Andy Cannon all going close. A strong defensive display, led by an impressive Raff Cirino, kept Bolton at bay before Evans fired Town ahead after the break.
The visitors found a late leveller when Thierry Gale's cross found its way into the net, leaving the Cods to settle for a draw despite another encouraging performance ahead of the new campaign.
League standing (final 2025 table -- new season not yet under way): 15th in England League Two, 61 pts, 15W-16D-15L from 46 games, recent form DDDWL. Goals this season: 57 scored, 58 conceded (-1 goal difference). Title race: 26 points behind leaders Bromley. Next fixture: vs Oldham (away, 2027-02-09) (10th in the table).
The draw was a welcome one for Town, who will look to build on this performance in the new season. For Bolton, it was a disappointing end to their pre-season, but they will be looking to bounce back in the new campaign.
And so, the Cods will head into the new season with a sense of optimism, knowing that they have the talent and depth to compete with the best teams in League Two.
