Securing League One status takes disappointment off defeat at Peterborough for Fleetwood Town coach Nicholson

John Sheridan was unable to take his post match press conference due to losing his voice

Nicholson took on press duties because boss John Sheridan had lost his voice though the Town head coach would have probably echoed the sentiments.

Sheridan's penultimate game as head coach ended with a 2-0 defeat as a 52nd minute Jack Marriott effort and George Cooper's 77th minute strike sank Town.

And Nicholson was disappointed with the second half showing though despite the defeat they remained six points clear of Rochdale who are now unable to catch them with one game to go.

Nicholson said: "We are really disappointed with the result and the performance, second half especially.

"When John came in the priority was to stay in the league and we are now mathematically safe with a game to go.

"I think we were safe anyway but it is now nice to be mathematically safe.

"We rebuild again for next year."

And Nicholson said they were poor goals to give away.

He said: "The game opened up second half, especially when they got the goal.

"We needed to try and push a little bit to get back into the game, first half we did OK.

"We had large spells of possesion but we just chose the wrong option.

"Decision making and final ball let us down because we felt we got the ball into the right areas and had chances to create.

"We just did not do that with the last little bit so that is the disappointing bit.

"Second half they pushed from the start and put us on the back foot a bit and got the goal.

"The goals we are really disappointed with/.

"We will look back at them again but we were a little bit deep for the first goal, could not get out and we got punished.

"The second one there is only one person in the box and he manages to get across our defender and get a finish.

"We are disappointed with the goals.

"But we felt we played OK in the first half and with a bit of quality on the ball we could have done something better."

Nicholson confirmed that striker Wes Burns missed the clash due to injury and explained the six changes.

Keeper Chris Neal, midfielders Jack Sowerby and George Glendon, skipper Nathan Pond and forwards Paddy Madden and Conor McAleny all returned to the starting XI after last weekend's 4-0 defeat to Wigan.

They came in for Alex Cairns, Burns, Bobby Grant, Jordy Hiwula, Toumani Diagouraga and Gethin Jones.

Nicholson said: "The manager said over the last few weeks that he wants to give some of the boys a game although we were not mathematically safe until after today's game it was just an opportunity to play boys who had not had a lot of game time."