Fleetwood Town's Conor McLaughlin has hailed the Cod Army supporters after their backing against Portsmouth on Saturday. The full-back expressed his delight that the fans could have a happy long trip home after picking up the 3 points. “We have to give credit to the fans because it is a very long way to travel. If the team lose, the bus has a very miserable atmosphere for the long drive home. I'm sure the supporters will enjoy the journey a lot more than they would have if we came away with nothing from the game.”
Town have moved into 2nd place in the Sky Bet League 2 table following the 1-0 victory at Fratton Park, a win which McLaughlin said the side thoroughly deserved. “I thought the lads were extremely solid for the whole game. We created a number of chances and I think our overall performance was good.” The 22 year old continued: “Playing at grounds such as Fratton Park demonstrates how far the club has come. Playing in front of almost 16,000 people is an incredible feeling.”
McLaughlin also said the team were pleased with their ability to avoid any distractions from the atmospheric ground and instead focus on playing their usual game. “We were definitely pleased to nullify any effect this ground can have on opposition sides because any chance the Portsmouth supporters have to get behind their team could spell trouble for us.”
Finally, the ex Preston North End man was pleased to come away from the game with a clean sheet. He said: “A clean sheet is what defenders aim for in every game. We know that if we don't concede any goals, we have a good chance of coming away with all the points. With the offensive players we have in the squad, we are confident going into every game.”