Joey Barton's plan paid off for in-form Fleetwood Town forward Harvey Saunders

Joey Barton thought Harvey Saunders' pace out wide could be a factor against Hull and the plan paid off as the in-form forward scored twice

Joey Barton is delighted with the impact of breakout star Harvey Saunders at Fleetwood Town.

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The 23-year-old was deployed on the right wing against Hull City and had a clear impact on the game, scoring twice in Town's 4-1 win to take his goal tally to six in three games.

Saunders has had to wait for his chance since his move from non-league Darlington in January last year and has taken it so far this season.

He netted a hat-trick on his first start against Aston Villa Under-21s in the EFL Trophy before the thumping of the high-flying Humbersiders.

Barton said the young striker deserved his chance but there was a tactical approach to his selection.

Town's head coach explained: "He'd scored a really good goal to get us back in the game at Rochdale and followed that up with three great finishes against Villa - right foot, left foot and header, a kind of perfect hat-trick.

"And with Barrie McKay just coming back to fitness, he'd had a bit of a niggle. When we analysed the (Hull) game we knew their backline could be got at, and we knew if we could build platforms to attack in our wide areas we could cause them problems.

"You need a bit of luck but we're a little disappointed we haven't got more goals because the performance in the second half warranted that.

"If the ref had given a penalty in the first half... and it looks like we could have had another second half."

Fleetwood's Highbury opponents this Saturday are again among the pace-setters: like Hull, second-placed Lincoln City lost for the first time last weekend after four straight league wins.

The pace of Saunders could again be a factor as it was last Friday when the Highbury 'wind machine' was switched on.

Barton said: "You always want to start on the front foot and it was nice to score early in the second half against Hull (through Callum Camps).

"First half we'd been against the wind, so getting Paddy (Madden), Harvey and Ched (Evans) in the game was a bit more difficult.

"But in the second period, those balls that had been falling in front of their backline were going behind them and that's where Ched, Paddy and Harvey with his pace can capitalise."