Fleetwood boss Joey Barton states that FA are investigating alleged comments aimed at Ched Evans in Hull City match

Ched Evans has scored four goals in four games

Greatest club competition isn't the same this season says Barton

Fleetwood romped to a 4-1 win in front of the TV cameras that night at Highbury and the League One rivals face each other again in the first round of the FA Cup on Humberside on Saturday.

Barton said: “It will have to play itself out and it’s being dealt with.

“Something was said to Ched. You can see on the Sky footage at half-time that some of our players were speaking to the ref.

“I wasn’t out there, so I don’t know what was said. It’s one of the rare occasions that it’s nothing to do with me.

“It’s still rumbling on with the FA. It’s being investigated."

The head coach says the incident has made his side all the more determined to earn a place in Monday’s second-round draw.

He added: “It makes my team talk relatively straightforward.

“We’ll be going there ready to win a cup tie, full of confidence to hopefully pick up where we left off in the home game. From our perspective, there’s a little bit of bad blood from the allegations. This is game on.

“There will be no coming up short for effort because we want to progress in the cup.”

Barton has spoken before about on-field protection for Evans, who had a rape conviction overturned at a retrial four years ago.

Town’s Welsh number nine has been in fine form of late, finding the net four times in four games and scoring both goals in Tuesday’s 3-2 defeat at Charlton Athletic.

Barton added: “Everybody is looking for equality, but just because it is Ched Evans I think there is a kind of acceptance that it’s okay to say what they say about him.

“I don’t think that it is okay and this isn’t the first time we’ve had to deal with it.

“It’s difficult for the lad. The aftermath is I’ve got to pick up the pieces of the human being that is left behind.

“It should be dealt with by the officials. Hopefully it does get dealt with.

“For us, the focus is on the game, the focus is on the football and Ched knows we’re here to support him. He knows just how much his teammates are behind him.

“He’s in great goalscoring form and hopefully the FA get to the bottom of what went on and we don’t see it any more.”

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