Madden’s magical treble does the trick...

JOEY Barton hailed Paddy Madden after his stunning hat-trick helped Fleetwood Town crush Burton.

Madden scored all his goals after the interval, after providing the assist for strike partner Ched Evans in the first half, with the three points lifted the Cod Army back up to fourth spot.

A delighted Barton said: “Paddy was in the right place at the right time for Ched’s goal in the first half, and then obviously he’s got the three goals in the second.

“That’s never a bad haul, of course, and it always makes a manager look better than he probably is when those decisions to recall him come off.

“It’s not easy to score goals at the level he has for as long as he has. Clearly, Paddy’s got that extra special composure a top striker needs in front of goal.

“He doesn’t look rushed, he doesn’t look flustered, he just expects to score goals when he gets in there.

“That’s a quality that is always in the best strikers, no matter what level they play at.”

Fleetwood almost struck early on when Danny Andrew’s crisp-angled volley was superbly saved by Kieran O’Hara. The Burton keeper was then called upon again to keep out Kyle Dempsey’s curling effort.

Just past the halfhour mark Burton’s Scott Fraser drove a low shot against a post, before Fleetwood grabbed the opener five minutes later.

Evans could barely miss from three yards out as he met Madden’s low cross.

The Brewers levelled just before half-time when Oliver Sarkic followed in after his initial shot was parried by keeper Alex Cairns.

In the 58th minute hero Madden volleyed home Lewie Coyle’s clipped cross from ten yards.

Madden doubled up ten minutes later when he superbly headed home Wes Burns’ cross. Then sub Josh Morris teed up Madden in the 90th minute as he easily rolled his third goal past O’Hara.

Burton boss Nigel Clough admitted: “It’s a terrible, terrible result, so we’re all extremely disappointed of course.

“We dominated possession at times, but in the end the result doesn’t lie. We’ve been well beaten.

“Fleetwood were much more clinical than us on the day. It’s massively disappointing.”