Pressley impressed with Fleetwood win

Town’s new boss was a spectator for Tuesday night’s 2-1 victory over Shrewsbury Town in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy but will coach and pick the team for Saturday’s League One clash with Coventry.

He believes the victory, sealed by Bobby Grant’s late winner, was the most important thing of all.

“I was very impressed, in the second half especially,” said the 41-year-old Scot.

“In the first half we were a little tentative in our play. We looked a team lacking a little bit of confidence.

“I thought our second half performance was excellent and the encouraging thing was we played with a lot of energy.

“We showed good mobility and a threat beyond that.

“But the most important thing for the team is that we won the game.

“Winning breeds confidence and confidence breeds better performances.

“You only get that through winning and that’s why the win was vitally important.”

While he has brought in former midfielder Neil MacFarlane to join him on the Highbury coaching staff, Pressley has also retained the services of Town’s remaining back-room team from the previous regime.

And he was pleased with the opportunity to watch his side away from the dugout.

Town’s new manager has a clear vision of the way he wants his side to play and has already begun working on how he can adapt his squad.

“We were very comfortable just watching,” he told The Gazette.

“I’ve already gone on record in saying great standards have been put in place at this football club.

“Chris Lucketti and Barry Nicholson have made a great first impression with us. We’re very confident.

“It was the ideal opportunity. It gave us the chance to contemplate how we can adapt the players to certain positions and how we can adapt them to our preferred system moving forward. It was a very good exercise in that respect.”

Several of Town’s younger players, not least 19-year-old forward Ash Hunter whose equaliser sparked Fleetwood into life, impressed on Tuesday.

And Pressley is looking forward to bringing through young talent at Highbury.

He said: “I thought we had a couple of excellent performances from our young players and that’s what excites me.

“One of the strengths of mine over my five years in management has been the development of young players and I’m very proud of that.

“You don’t just have to develop them as players but as human beings. You have to have the right types.

“But there are some very good young players here and the senior players impressed as well.

“There was a good balance on Tuesday – a good balance of the senior players and the energy of the young players.”