Barton left baffled by poor form at home

JOEY Barton joked that he is considering writing to the EFL to get his side to constantly play on the road as they were left frustrated at home once again as Accrington fought back to draw at Highbury.

Despite a seven-match unbeaten run Fleetwood boss Barton has seen his side win just once in the league. And despite laying no blame on the home fans, he said he was considering writing to the powers that be.

He said: “I’m going to write to the EFL and ask if we can play every game away, which would be a first!”

He added: “Credit to Accrington, they applied themselves well but we are disappointed we have not got three points.

“Away from home we have been ruthless, very clinical but at home we have not had the same application.

“It is something that baffles me because it is the same graft and 11 players but you have to learn to close games out.

“We are progressing nicely. Maybe this was a game we would have lost in the past.”

It was all Accrington in the opening stages as they silenced the home crowd, but despite Sam Finley firing past a post the visitors could not break the deadlock.

They paid the price for not punishing the hosts, as Ash Hunter’s free-kick from the left was glanced home by Cian Bolger in the 38th minute.

It was Bolger’s first league start since the openng day as he made his mark replacing injured skipper Craig Morgan.

Finley had another good chance in the second half, but a combination of Ash Eastham and Alex Cairns thwarted the former AFC Fylde man’s angled effort.

Fleetwood should have added a second, but it was Accrington’s turn to dish out the punishment.

It was Sean McConville, who’s dad Peter played with Joseph Barton senior for non-league Knowsley United, who popped up with a 70th-minute leveller to thwart Barton junior’s bid for a second straight league win at Highbury

Accrington Stanley boss John Coleman said: “Fleetwood came into this game in a rich vein of form. Aside from two five-minute spells in both halves we have pretty much controlled the game.

“They scored once from three or four chances. We scored one from 10 or 12.”