'We should never have lost' - Fleetwood boss Joey Barton angry after defeat at Accrington Stanley

Former Town player Dion Charles' 73rd-minute strike gave Stanley the three points at Wham Stadium, halting Town's three-game unbeaten run in all competitions and leaving Barton's side 15th in League One.

But Town's head coach was not impressed with Accrington's style of play or the manner of their goal and he criticised the match officials.

Barton said: "I'd rather us lose playing like we did than win playing like they did.

"We should never have lost the game, mainly because their goal was a foul, which everyone will see when they look back at it.

"It leaves a sour taste in your mouth, especially given that Callum Connolly was pulled down by Dion Charles just before he scored. Their error cost us the game.

"It's also frustrating when you see the officials laughing and joking with (Accrington manager) John Coleman before the game, the stoppage time at the end of the game being eaten up by timewasting and then the officials laughing and joking again with Coleman afterwards."

Barton's mood was in stark contrast to that before the game, when he spoke of the positive rivalry between the sides in what was becoming a 'derby' fixture due to the number of Liverpudlians at both clubs.

This was the second successive match in which Town had failed to score and Barton added: "Unless you win games confidence doesn't grow, so we have to snap out of it, knuckle down and get back to working hard on the training ground. The results will then come.

"We aren't playing at our best. You look at the number of corners and set-plays we had, and they were not at the required standard we usually set for ourselves as a group.

"We should never have lost and Accrington will be asking themselves how they won that game."