Fleetwood Town 1 Burton Albion 0: Fleetwood Town boss Joey Barton and Burton Albion boss Nigel Clough react to the result

Fleetwood Town boss Joey Barton was thrilled with his first 1-0 win as a manager and hailed his players for battling the elements as they beat Burton Albion at Highbury.
Joey BartonJoey Barton
Joey Barton

Ched Evans' 51st minute penalty gave Town all three points.

The forward was impeded by Jake Buxton and dusted himself down to convert the spot-kick.

And for ex-midfielder Barton that 1-0 victory was a sweets one as he praised both his and Burton Albion's players for fighting through the wind, rain and plummeting temperatures on the Fylde coast.

He said: "It is the first 1-0 of the season.

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"A perfect scoreline for us defensive midfielders and defenders.

"Conditions were really difficult.

"It was difficult for players to stay warm never mind play football.

"A couple of players with frost bite.

"The wind, sleet, snow, everything wet through and you get this Easterly wind from somewhere very cold.

"Credit to both sets of players.

"They kept going right to the end and I am pleased we got the three points because these are the games you look back on.

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"It does not have to pretty, good football, fancy goals it is about grinding out a result and the lads were first class."

His opposite number Burton Albion boss Nigel Clough was not happy with the horrendous weather conditions as he questioned whether the game should have gone ahead.

He said: "Quite a lot of the players were struggling.

"I saw Clint Hill Fleetwood's coach and their players were struggling at half-time.

"Jake Hesketh came off because of the affects of the weather and the cold.

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He was shaking almost uncontrollably at half-time and shivering because of the cold.

"He wanted to give it five minutes but he just could not get going.

"It is not just the wind and the rain it is the temperature.

"Stephen Quinn says that is the worst he has ever played in in 15 years of professional football.

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"You do not want games called off but if the equivalent conditions of a frozen pitch or a waterlogged pitch you would not play.

"There are certain conditions like today.

"It is not a great game for spectators either.

"People have come along and paid their money.

"Our supporters have travelled up and it makes it very difficult to play football.

Horrendous conditions."