Fleetwood Town's defeat to Morecambe a huge disappointment for Simon Grayson

The Cod Army suffered a first home league loss to their Lancashire rivals after Callum Johnson had seemingly secured a point, cancelling out Callum Jones’ opener with eight minutes to go.

However, Cole Stockton’s dramatic 94th minute wonder strike, from the centre circle, earned the visitors bragging rights against a Town side who saw Anthony Pilkington sent off for dissent moments later.

“It’s a big hammer blow for us again,” groaned Grayson.

“I’m hugely disappointed to lose the game and to lose a derby match.

“To lose it in the manner that we did was really disappointing and frustrating.

“We get the goal, all of a sudden we’re asking questions of them and look like getting another goal.

“We had a couple of real close efforts which didn’t go in.

“Football’s a really cruel sport sometimes. It could have been a 1-1 draw, which we probably would have taken.

“It’s a great goal from his (Stockton) point of view, but we’re really disappointed with where he’s scored from.”

Grayson’s side remained 22nd in League One, three points adrift of fifth-bottom Gillingham.

They have lost four games on the spin in all competitions and have only won twice since mid-September.

One of those wins, the victory against Crewe Alexandra, is their only one in the last 10 league matches.

“You’ve got to dig deep when things aren’t going your way,” stressed Grayson.

“That’s what we’ve got to do individually and with myself.

“The staff, the players, we’ve got to assess what we’re doing and keep doing the right things.

“They are a good group in there, it’s a really hurt dressing room. I’m hurt with the result.”

Grayson added: “When you assess the game, we had all the possession in the first 10 minutes.

“Then they score out of nowhere with a free-kick, which goes straight in. We’re disappointed with where it’s gone in from.

“We had a lot of possession without doing too much with it really. We didn’t ask many questions of their keeper.

“We needed to do better with more intensity with the ball and to move it quicker.

“We need to have a bit more intensity off the ball as well and close people down.”

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