Simon Wiles pleased with Fleetwood performance despite agonising defeat at Hull

Town led 2-0 until the 78th minute of their third-round tie on Humberside thanks to goals from Paddy Madden and Wes Burns.

But substitutes Mallik Wilks and Keane Lewis-Potter levelled for the Tigers with two goals in as many minutes before Lewie Coyle haunted his former club with a sensational stoppage-time strike.

“It was a tough finish to watch,” admitted Wiles, who has been promoted from his academy coach role at Highbury and was overseeing the side's first match since Boxing Day.

“But to be honest, with the way we played, the intensity we showed and the energy which we have spoken about over the last couple of days, I’m pleased. I thought in the first half we were really good.

“On the whole, the end result aside, I’m pleased with the effort the players have put in tonight. There are lots of positives to take and I am very pleased.

“I thought the way we started the game, the first 10 or 15 minutes, were very, very good and I thought the lads brought everything we spoke about this week.

“It gives us a good platform to move forward with the way we want to play and approach matches.

“The way the goal was taken by Paddy I thought was fantastic and the build-up play with the other lads as well. I thought it was really good and we deserved to take the lead.”

Wiles had been able to conduct only two training sessions with the squad, who spent last week in self-isolation following positive coronavirus tests.

And with players still unavailable - Town gave a debut to emergency loan keeper Joe Hilton from Blackburn Rovers - Wiles' side appeared to run out of gas in the closing stages.

The new head coach did have a chance to run the rule over some young faces at the start of the post-Joey Barton era.

And with Town's cup interests now over for the season - Hull also knocked them out of the FA Cup on the same ground in November - Wiles believes the squad have what it takes to challenge for League One promotion once everyone is back fit and firing.

He added: “With the lads being out for 10 days isolating, they have had just two training sessions with myself and Macca (Steve Macauley) in the last couple of days.

"With the energy levels we were playing with, it probably caught up with us. But I’m not going to let that take away from the positives from the game.

“There are lots of players isolating and out with injury, so the squad will get stronger.

"And with a full bill of health, I’m sure we’ll be ready to compete with the teams in our league.”

Town are due to play their first league game for three weeks at home to Portsmouth on Saturday.

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