Fixture changes and changes up front for Joey Barton and Fleetwood Town

Alterations have been made to two of Fleetwood Town’s  League One fixtures – one of them brought forward by 45 days.
Harvey Saunders could have a front-line role to play for Fleetwood over ChristmasHarvey Saunders could have a front-line role to play for Fleetwood over Christmas
Harvey Saunders could have a front-line role to play for Fleetwood over Christmas
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Joey Barton: Chance for a young Fleetwood player to fill shoes of Ched Evans

Town’s next home game against Doncaster next Tuesay will now kick-off at 7pm instead of 7.45pm.

Town were due to travel to Sunderland on Tuesday, February 23 but that match has been switched to Saturday, January 9 (3pm), filling a blank weekend for both clubs.

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Town go into the festive period with head coach Joey Barton (right) having announced after last Saturday’s draw with Wigan Athletic that striker Ched Evans is no longer in his plans.

As a result, he is looking for the rest of the club’s attacking players to make the step up prior to the January transfer window.

Barton admitted: “We’ll be into Harvey Saunders trying to step in and fill the breach, and obviously the lads in the front line – Pad (Paddy Madden), (Callum) Camps, (Josh) Morris and (Barrie) McKay – are going to have to knuckle down over this festive period and then we’ll see what the January market brings.

“You look at the bench now – with the lads on there on Saturday (for the home draw with Wigan)we could only make a number of adjustments.

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“I’ve tried to shut the game down, go to a back five and try to defend a 1-0 lead against the wind. When it comes off you get plaudits as a manager, but when they score in the 90th minute you don’t.”

Barton is looking to use the disappointment from that 1-1 draw to drive his side on at in-form Crewe Alexandra on Boxing Day.

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He said: “We were a couple of minutes away (from winning) and it’s disappointing to draw at home against Wigan, but the reality is you have to pick yourself up quickly in this league.

“We have a tough fixture at Crewe on Boxing Day and it’s not doom and gloom.

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“We put on a good show at Portsmouth and won at Swindon but in the context of the second half, I don’t think we can sit here and say we absolutely deserved to win.

“I know Wigan’s coaching team and I knew there would be a response after they lost 5-0 to Rochdale.”

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