Fleetwood Tn U18s: 5 Nelson U17s Blues:2 IT WAS a case of ‘if only as Nelson’s quest for county cup glory were foiled in a fiesty final with Fleetwood.

If only they had converted one of their two chances when trailing 1-0.

If only they had managed to maintain a foothold in the game when they got back to 3-1 instead of immediately conceding again.

If only Callum Smith could repeat his magic – squandering a chance to make it 4-3 moments after he had cut through the defence for the goal of the game.

The final score flattered Fleetwood and was hard on Nelson.

For the Blues had their rivals from the Fylde Coast on the ropes but luck and finishing were not on their side.

After trailing to a dubious early penalty – Callum Booth harshly penalised for handball with Tyler Atack converting the spot kick – Nelson hit back.

And had Luke Bradbury not got the ball stuck under his feet with the goal at his mercy then captain Sam Crook glancing a header against the crossbar, it could have been a lot different.

Bradbury then fired weakly at the keeper after being teed up by Mick King who ran the Town right back ragged all night.

As it was, Nelson found themselves 2-0 down when Joe Higgins’ shot took the merest of deflections off Booth which lifted the flight of the ball just over the outstretched arms of William Worthington in the Nelson goal.

Harsh penalty decision, cruel deflection and later a sending off, not the final that Booth had envisaged.

Fleetwood took a 3-0 lead in to the break when Atack succeeded where Crook had failed, scoring with a glancing header from a corner.

But Nelson refused to buckle and that was typified by left back Nathan Pitt.

After losing out in a tackle, he raced back to not only regain possession but played an excellent ball to Crook who helped it on to King whose low cross was bundled home from close range by Smith.

Nelson had that crucial foothold but promptly let it slip. The Blues were given a let off when Michael McAlpine was allowed far too much time but Worthington was equal to his clever chip, palming the ball on to the bar and over.

But from the resulting corner, Ben Cartwright rose unopposed to head home McAlpine’s centre.

But again, back came Nelson and Smith lit up the County Ground with a slalom run through the heart of the Fleetwood defence to score an excellent solo goal.

And he so nearly set up a grand stand finish as straight from the kick off, he found himself free on the right of the box but hurried his shot and dragged it across goal.

With hopes of a fight back gone, Booth saw red and it was just left to Ben Duffield to fire home from the edge of the area as Fleetwood lifted the cup for the second time in three years.

For Nelson, it was a case of ‘if only’.