'Credit' to Wigan Athletic for the point, admits Joey Barton

Fleetwood boss Joey Barton was magnanimous enough to acknowledge Wigan Athletic 'deserved the point' in the 1-1 draw at Highbury Stadium.
Joey BartonJoey Barton
Joey Barton

The home side looked as though they would hold on for all three points, having taken the lead through Danny Andrew's 35-yard rocket just before the hour mark.

But Latics stuck to their task throughout and, in the first of six added minutes, Curtis Tilt's header led to Will Keane having a volley saved at point-blank range, before substitute Ollie Crankshaw nodded home from six yards.

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“We’re disappointed to concede late," recognised Barton. "We were unlucky, the lads defended as well as they could.

"Sometimes you need a little bit of luck as it’s ricocheting around. Jayson (Leutwiler, goalkeeper) makes a great save, it loops over Paddy (Madden)’s head and right to their lad waiting for it.

"But credit to Wigan. I thought in the second half they pushed on and deserved the point."

Fleetwood then created and squandered a gilt-edged opportunity to win it deep into added time, when Madden raced clear only to be denied by a fantastic save from Jamie Jones.

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“I don’t think we were good enough in the second half, but if Paddy scores that goal on the break late on, we’d have snatched three points...but not to be.

“It was a hell of a strike by Dan (Andrew). The Fylde coast wind was a contributing factor there!

"I think Paddy will get the assist, but I think Mother Nature might want to put a claim to that.

"You know in the second half, because of the conditions, you’re going to be camped in, and you’re going to have to do the basics superbly and for a large part of that we did.

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“A good week would have been a great week if we'd managed to see those two minutes out.

"But in the context of the second half, I don’t think we can sit here and say we managed to beat Wigan."

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