Delight for Darnell Johnson at dream debut for Fleetwood Town

Fleetwood were victorious 3-2 against Cheltenham Town at Highbury on Saturday, Shayden Morris scoring the late winner.

Johnson had made it 2-1 with just 10 minutes to go but Town were pegged back three minutes from the end.

It was a vital win for Simon Grayson’s men after four straight defeats in all competitions. The Cod Army have been frustrated in recent weeks because their performances have been better than the results.

Johnson admitted they didn’t play any better against Cheltenham but the main thing was getting over the line.

The 22-year-old defender said: “I’m delighted to get my first goal and to make my debut for Fleetwood. It’s a great feeling and there is plenty more to come.

“The game was up and down, but with all the lads working hard and persevering we got what we deserved in the end.

“We may not have played well at times and done some of the wrong stuff, but it is all about sticking together and playing as a team to come out on top. We didn’t really play well against Cheltenham in the same way we played well in previous games and didn’t get the result.

“It’s all about looking to the next game and doing as well as we can, putting things right.”

Johnson signed for the club at the start of this month following his release by Leicester City. He played as a triallist in the pre-season win over Leeds United and earned a two-year deal.

It was an unusual summer for the former England youth international, partly spent training alone as he awaited a new club.

“This year it was different because of the whole Covid situation,” Johnson said. “At the start I had to build myself up to get myself game time when I was coming in.

“With the whole of last week building into the Bournemouth game, I think it was the right time for me to come in and make my mark.

“I wanted to come here because of the whole club, the fanbase and how the club is run. When I first came here it was all very good – all the lads were welcoming and the manager was very clear with what he wanted.

“There was a clear atmosphere for me to progress in my career and I felt this was the right place for me. My best position is centre-back but I’ll do a job for the team wherever at the back to give us the best chance to win.”

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