Gillingham 3 Fleetwood Town 0: Fleetwood head coach Joey Barton reacts to the defeat

Joey Barton says his side's performance in the first half of their 3-0 defeat at Gillingham was not acceptable.
Fleetwood Town boss Joey BartonFleetwood Town boss Joey Barton
Fleetwood Town boss Joey Barton

Barton's side were 2-0 down at the break as Hanlan's pounced on Ash Eastham's back pass in the 10th minute to open the scoring and Tom Eaves netted in the 17th minute.

Barton got a response in the second half, Ched Evans' header hitting the post before Eaves made it three in the 55th minute.

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Paddy Madden also hit the bar but Barton wants his players to reward their fans for making the lengthy trips as they fell to their third straight away defeat.

He said: "If you are a fan of this football club and you travel all the way down here for that

first half - that is not acceptable.

"Second half I think the fans will go away thinking the team had a go.

"They have gone to Portsmouth, Peterborough and I believe we should win those games.

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"I'm not for Fleetwood Town just expecting that these clubs will roll us over.

"We have given them some joy on the road.

"The likes of Doncaster and Scunthorpe.

"We have got to do it more consistently because they pay hard earned cash that they work all week to collect to come and support the team.

"The lads have got to make sure our performance and application credits that."

And Barton says it is just an off day as they slipped to 11th in the table.

He said: "You do have days like that.

"Hopefully we don't have too many of them.

"It is difficult.

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"I challenged the lads at half-time to go out there and win the game.

"We felt if we got that first goal then there was a vulnerability about Gillingham.

"The lads gave everything second half, they pushed really hard, just that bit of fortune you need for want of hitting the post and going in.

"We didn't get that then their first attack in our half in the second half goes in.

"Really frustrated.

"I think we are more than capable as an attacking unit to score goals and be in games.

"It was just an off day.

"Fair play to Gillingham they took their chances."