Fleetwood Town hot-shot Dempsey delights in new attacking role

New Fleetwood Town head coach Joey Barton talks to sports scientists Youl Mawene and James Barrow as Kyle Dempsey trains

More than 50 made the trip to Budapest to watch Dempsey and co beat Hungarian outfit Zalaegerszegi TE 2-0 on Saturday.

Paddy Madden volleyed home the opener just after the break but it was a sensational right-footed effort from 22-year-old Dempsey that stole the show.

Town have won all five pre-season games and Dempsey hopes to treat the fans to more goals, more assists and more wins next season.

He said: “For them to travel all this way to support us in a pre-season game is absolutely unbelievable.

“I think that with the fans we will push on and have a really good season. Thanks to the fans for travelling out and hopefully they enjoyed the performance.”

Dempsey scored in his new role on the left of the front three. He said new boss Joey Barton had been trying to find a more attacking role for him.

The Cumbrian scored only once for Town last season but had bagged 11 in his breakthrough season for Carlisle in 2014-15.

Dempsey was given more defensive duties under Uwe Rosler but his new role on the left allows him to cut inside on to his right foot.

It paid dividends in Hungary and he added: “The gaffer has worked with me this week and tried to find a position where I could be utilised more in attack.

“I’ve showed signs in training and we had a little game in which I scored two goals similar to the one I scored on Saturday. I pushed on and I have really given myself a chance to play there for the season.

“Every time I got the ball you could see I’m a lot more confident when I’m fronted up one-on-one. I felt like I am going to score a lot more goals from that area.

“I feel I have found a position where I am comfortable. The gaffer told me I will bring a lot of goals and assists.

“I think the Fleetwood fans are going to see a different side to me, one similar to the start of my career, when I was chipping in with goals and assists. I do feel really confident.”

Dempsey also credited left-back Joe Maguire for his goal.

He said: “When you have a full-back who was driving like Joe was,he attracts the defenders out and I could cut inside. When you have that much time, you can pick the far corner.”

Fleetwood: Cairns (Urwin); Coyle (Jones), Bolger (Holgate), Eastham (Baines), Spurr (Maguire); Sheron (Sowerby), Biggins (Garner), Holt (Dempsey), McAleny (Grant), Madden (Nadesan), Hunter (Burns).