Fleetwood Town 2 Accrington Stanley 1

Fleetwood Town came from behind to beat Accrington Stanley and become the first winners of the Clitheroe Football Festival.

The two Academy sides – who had topped their respective groups in the eight-team tournament – served up a high-quality final at Shawbridge.

And Fleetwood took the silverware north to the Fylde coast thanks to goals from Carl Johnston and Akiel Raffie.

Stanley led thanks to a superb free-kick from Matty Carson, who then struck the woodwork from another set-piece.

But Fleetwood were level at the break when midfield man Johnston coolly lifted the ball home to level.

And the Cod Army youngsters then dominated after the break to claim victory and the trophy when Raffie fired into the bottom corner from the edge of the box with 25 minutes to go.

The Blues may look to repeat the tournament in the future on the back of a highly successful return to action post-Covid for all the teams involved over the month-long event.

And Fleetwood development squad coach Stephen Crainey hopes his side might get the chance to defend their title after extending their unbeaten record in the competition to emerge as winners.

Crainey said: “We got a lot out of it. The teams we have been playing against have been really physical, so to test the lads in that way has been really beneficial and hopefully we can potentially do it again next year.

“We have been made very welcome from every time we've come over and it's been a joy and, hopefully, we can do it again at some point.

“I am prepping my lads for the next level, which is first-team level, and to get into that winning habit as early as they can is going to benefit them moving forward.

“Even though it's a wee tournament that you have provided it's great for their mentality and their mindset to strive to be the best they can and win at everything they do.

“That's one thing I drive every day in training, that winning mentality.”

Blues' director of football Carl Garner - who devised the event - made the trophy presentation and Clitheroe FC would like to thank all the teams which took part, and the club's own volunteers, for allowing the event to be staged so successfully.