Barton: '˜Soft' dismissal cost Fleetwood against Portsmouth

And the Cod Army boss told of his frustration at a '˜needless' penalty conceded by his side as they were thumped 5-2 by Pompey.

Fleetwood saw themselves reduced to 10 men six minutes after the restart with the score at 2-1, when Dean Marney was given his marching orders for hack at Ben Thompson's legs in the middle of the park.

Pompey went on to fire in four second-half goals after the visitors were handed an advantage Barton viewed as costly.

The first of those goals came from the spot as Ronan Curtis was fouled by Ross Wallace - a costly error in Barton's book.

He told the Blackpool Gazette: '˜A very soft second yellow card.

'˜You cannot afford to give them that kind of advantage because as they have shown they were clinical.

'˜A soft first yellow and that is very disappointing from our perspective because we looking the side probably more likely to go on and win the game.

'˜We were 2-1 ahead, in the ascendancy with the momentum but then you cannot go down to 10-men with this calibre of opposition.

'˜They are top of the table going into the new year because they are the most consistent team in the division and they have some good players.

'˜We did not just make that one, we folded up by giving away an absolute needless penalty.

'˜Ball going away from goal and I can only think it is because he was elbowed in the face a couple of minutes beforehand, and maybe he has got a little bit of the red mist descending and he has decided he wants to make a physical challenge.

'˜That is very disappointing.

'˜Then we settle down, we get back into a kind of flow again.'

A freak moment went against the home side with 10 minutes left as they twice hit the woodwork from a corner, before Jamal Lowe powered in two goals in three minutes.

Barton added: '˜With the game at 3-2 down to 10-men Paddy Madden's fantastic header hits the post.

'˜James Wallace gets the rebound, hits the other side of the post then they clear the danger.

'˜At that point you think maybe it is not going to be our day.

'˜I cannot fault the players they give everything for each other.

'˜They give everything on most occasions.'