Fleetwood's Ryan: Keep calm and carry on

Fleetwood Town's Jimmy Ryan discusses tactics with David Ball and Kyle Dempsey after Fleetwood conceded at Millwall

Two Lee Gregory penalties ended the Lions’ run of six straight defeats in League One, and although Ash Hunter’s fourth goal of the season gave Town hope they could not force an equaliser.

Ryan says they need a result at home to the Gills, who are only two points behind Town despite being five places lower in 18th.

The Irishman said: “I know Millwall is a tough place to go but we wanted to get the three points. I don’t think we played too badly overall.

“We lost a few battles on the pitch and obviously the goals changed the game.

“The two penalties were the killer really and it was always a fight from then on to get back into it.

“We thought we were good enough to go to Millwall and win. It is a bit of a setback but we have to pick ourselves up, sort out our problems and then focus on going again at home to Gillingham.”

Centre-halves Ashley Eastham and Nathan Pond both gave away a spot-kick, the latter conceding in controversial fashion when he and the Lions’ Byron Webster both went to ground at the back post.

Referee Carl Boyeson pointed to the spot, and although Ryan agrees the margins were fine at The Den he feels Town should not be putting themselves in such positions. He added: “To be honest I did not really see the penalty decisions.

“I was behind the player for the first one, so I could not see really what happened.

“The second one was behind the bodies as the cross has gone in. I was in the front space but if the ref has given it, the ref has given it.

“It is a place where the fans are loud and cheers like that sometimes make a bit of a difference, but maybe we should not have got ourselves into those positions anyway.

“I know it is easy to start playing once they go 2-0 up but I thought we pressured them quite well.

“We had a few good chances and maybe on another day we would have got something out of the game.

“But obviously we didn’t and now we have to go again against Gillingham.”

n Sheffield Wednesday Under-18s manager and former Carlisle player Paul Murray has been linked with the vacancy for a development squad coach at Fleetwood.