Rooney and Coughlan end Fleetwood’s wait for a win as Lawlor’s side warm up for Arsenal
Sunday 18 October 2026 · By Nigel Wardle
Fleetwood Town picked up their first League Two win in six games on Saturday, beating Rotherham United 2–0 at Highbury Stadium. It was the perfect way to start a run of fixtures that ends with Arsenal coming to the Fylde coast.
The 12.30pm kick-off was goalless at half-time. Ronan Coughlan had an early effort ruled out for offside, the club’s match replay noted. Fleetwood scored straight after the restart. Shaun Rooney converted from close range after a corner, less than a minute into the second half.
Rotherham pushed for an equaliser but Fleetwood stayed organised. They made the game safe after 80 minutes, according to the club’s report. Substitute Crispin McLean delivered into the area and top scorer Coughlan headed home.
Matt Lawlor was pleased with both ends of the pitch. “I thought we were in control for large parts of the game,” he told PA. “I was really pleased with the composure we showed in both boxes. I was pleased with the chances we created and I thought we defended really well which is evidenced by the clean sheet.”
He credited the half-time talk for the response. “They sat off us in the first half and that makes it hard to create chances,” he said. “We got in at half-time and said to each other that it was important to get the fans off their seats.” He was not a fan of the lunchtime start: “Half past twelve is a weird time to play football and often it creates a lull.”
Coughlan has scored in back-to-back league games, against Walsall on 10 October and against Rotherham. The win lifted Fleetwood to 12th on 14 points, in a group of teams level on that total. They are one point off the play-off places.
The fixture list is busy. Fleetwood visit Cheltenham Town on Tuesday 20 October (7.45pm BST). Cheltenham have lost three league games in a row. They then travel to Exeter City on Saturday 24 October (3pm BST). Exeter are unbeaten at home and have the best defence in the division.
Then comes the big one. Arsenal visit Highbury Stadium in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday 27 October. Arsenal’s website confirmed that the game kicks off at 8pm GMT and will be broadcast on Sky Sports. It will be the first competitive meeting between the clubs. Fleetwood reached this stage by beating Chesterfield, Shrewsbury Town and Championship side Sheffield United, all at home.
The club announced on 5 October that every ticket for the Arsenal game had been sold, after what it called “unprecedented demand”.
Bristol Rovers then visit on Saturday 31 October (3pm GMT). Lawlor will want to keep the focus on the league before then. Two good away results this week would mean Fleetwood go into the Arsenal game in confident form.
Highbury Stadium is a compact League ground on Park Avenue in Fleetwood, postcode FY7 6TX. Capacity is just over 5,300. Visiting supporters usually get the covered Percy Ronson terrace at the south end, plus seats in the Parkside Stand when the allocation grows. Check your ticket: standing fans use turnstiles 1–3 at Hatfield Avenue and Highbury Avenue; seated away fans use turnstiles 1–2 beside the club shop on Park Avenue. Gates typically open 90 minutes before kick-off.
The Parkside Stand is the main building: full-length seating, hospitality, boxes, changing rooms and the ticket office facing Memorial Park. Opposite, the Highbury Stand is much shorter — only about half the pitch — and sits close to Highbury Avenue. The Memorial Stand fills the north end behind one goal and is the home stronghold. The Percy Ronson Stand sits behind the other goal and does not run the full width of the pitch, which is why the south corners feel more open than the north.
Views from the Percy Ronson are good. The rake is steep and there are no roof pillars in the line of sight. You are right behind the goal, so build-up play at the far end can look tight, but the ground is small enough that you stay involved. Parkside seats give a better side-on view of both goals and usually better concourse space. On bigger allocations the away section can take the south part of Parkside as well as the terrace, so groups can split standing and sitting without being at opposite ends of the town.
Getting there is straightforward once you leave the M6 at junction 32, follow the M55, then the A585 into Fleetwood. Street parking around the ground is limited and matchday restrictions bite early; many travelling fans use town-centre or council car parks and walk the last ten minutes. The nearest tram stop is a short stroll if you have come via Blackpool. There is little official away parking on site, so do not plan to roll up at the main gates at 2.40pm.
Highbury is cashless inside. Kiosks serve pies, hot drinks and snacks in the away areas; alcohol is more reliably available if you are in the Parkside away seats than on the terrace. Jim’s Bar at the ground is generally open to both sets of supporters before kick-off and is the easiest pre-match option if you do not want a walk into town. Fleetwood centre and the seafront are 10–15 minutes on foot if you prefer a proper pub. Programmes are no longer a given, so do not rely on buying one at the turnstile.
The stadium is tidy, close to the pitch and easy to read once you have the four stands in your head: Memorial north, Percy Ronson south, Parkside east, Highbury west and short. Stewards are used to visiting fans mixing in the bar before the game and then being directed to the correct gates. Bring a card, know whether you are standing or sitting, and allow extra time on the A585. For a small ground it does the job well: covered away end, a proper main stand if you want a seat, and a short walk back to the tram or the fish docks when the whistle goes.