Fleetwood boss Stephen Crainey won't go easy on younger players after Shrewsbury setback

Town were outplayed by their visitors, who went into the match below them in the League One table.

The result left Fleetwood two points and two places above the drop zone - Morecambe missed the chance to move above Town on Wednesday night when they lost 2-1 at home to relegation rivals Crewe Alexandra.

The Cod Army will have to wait until January 8 to put their Shrews result right, having called off last night’s trip to Wigan Athletic and Sunday’s fixture at Sunderland because too few players are available at Highbury.

It gives Crainey time to reassess and his younger players time to recover from a chastening defeat.

Academy prospects have benefited from first-team opportunities this season but on making the step up they are treated as senior players.

And Crainey will not allow their standards to drop below those of elder first-team colleagues.

The Town boss said: “There are a lot of young players in the group, and we want them to learn and become men quickly.

“The reality is it’s three points at stake and not under-23s football, and I have reminded that younger group that they need to be at it every single day and against Shrewsbury they weren’t.

“I’d love to be able to say why that is. It’s not a lack of effort because they give me every thing every day but I just thought we were a yard short in every single thing we did.”

Thanks for reading. If you value what we do and are able to support us, a digital subscription is just £1 for your first month. Try us today by clicking here