Matty Virtue scores stoppage-time winner as managerless Fleetwood beat Harrogate

Substitute Matty Virtue’s stoppage-time winner saw Fleetwood triumph 2-1 at bottom-of-the-table Harrogate during Matt Lawlor’s first game as interim head coach.

Veteran forward Ched Evans had earlier struck in added time at the end of the first half before Aiden Marsh’s 81st-minute equaliser – his first goal in Harrogate colours – gave the hosts hope and ended his team’s 13-and-a-quarter-hour wait for a league goal on their own soil.

But Virtue condemned Simon Weaver’s men to a ninth straight home defeat and extended their winless League Two run to an 18th match.

Fleetwood had lost their previous five fixtures, leading to the departure of Pete Wild as manager.

But, after George Thomson headed straight at away keeper Jay Lynch having been picked out in front of goal by Reece Smith, Evans was more clinical when he glanced in off the post from Josh Powell’s curling delivery.

Marsh, recruited from National League Truro, levelled in emphatic style when he raced on to a long ball forward and drilled into Lynch’s bottom-left corner from 15 yards.

But Harrogate hearts were broken in the first minute of second-half stoppage time when Cathal Heffernan’s scuffed clearance fell to Virtue and he rifled into the roof of the net from eight yards.