Development Squad coach Stephen Crainey spoke to the club’s media team following Monday’s narrow defeat to Burnley in the Lancashire FA Senior Cup.
The Cod Army missed out on the chance to make it to a third final appearances in a row, with the game separated by Cian Bolger’s own goal.
The home side fielded international and Premier League players in Nick Pope, Stephen Ward and Steven Defour, with a youthful Cod Army side holding their own for large periods of the game.
Read below Crainey’s thoughts on the game…
On Town’s defeat to Burnley…
“It’s frustrating no matter what game you’re playing in, you don’t want to lose football matches. It’s disappointing to lose the game but as long as some of the younger lads that came on at the end learn from it, that’s a positive.
“I thought the structure was good at times, when they had the ball everything was in front of us and I thought in the second half we locked onto them higher up which meant when we won the ball it allowed us to get numbers forward ourselves.”
On facing Premier League opposition…
“In the main I’m pleased with the structure and obviously Burnley are a good side, a Premier League side, but at Fleetwood Town we want to be testing ourselves against teams like this.
“I thought we got into some good wider areas, we had some good set-plays in the first half, but the balls were too floated into the box which made it easier for the goalkeeper to come and get it.
“If they were flatter it would have given the defenders a problem. That’s what I said to them after the game, we need to find that bit of composure in the final third, especially when we’ve not had a lot of the ball and our chances were few and far between. Today we never did that.”
On moving forward…
“For me, we’ll digest the game and pick the bones out of the game. I’ll get the lads going every day in training and we’ll keep their heads up that’s for sure.”