Fleetwood Town 3, King's Lynn 0: Linnets' boss Keith Webb took the unusual step of apologising to the club's travelling supporters following this lethargic Conference North performance at Highbury on Saturday.

Fleetwood Town 3, King's Lynn 0

Linnets' boss Keith Webb took the unusual step of apologising to the club's travelling supporters following this lethargic Conference North performance at Highbury on Saturday.

Fleetwood's Sean Clancy hit a hat-trick inside 48 minutes to give the home team a comfortable victory with Webb a helpless spectator on the sidelines.

“I must apologise to all of the club's supporters who have travelled up here to witness this display today,” said Webb afterwards.

“It has taken them an awful lot of time and money and it is not right to reward them with a display like that.

“I can have no complaints about the result because we were absolutely dire and second best in all areas everywhere on the park.

“The disappointing thing for me is that recently we have done quite well and picked up some good points.

“Ultimately I have to take responsibility for the performance because I am the manager. We have had a chat about it and the players have to look at themselves.

“We have had some problems to deal with recently but I have had said to the lads that it is they who are out on the pitch and they have to deal with it.”

Webb made just the one change to the starting 11 that lost by a single goal at Droylsden last Monday evening, with Andrew Fisk replacing youngster Ross Kelly in the Linnets' midfield.

Julian Jouchim had to make do with a place on the bench, while Greg Crane returned to the squad at the expense of Charlie Defty.

Kris Renton headed straight at Fishermen's keeper Danny Hurst early on and the same player had a snapshot from an acute angle which was again comfortably gathered by Hurst.

The action reverted to the other end with Scot Howie beating away skipper Jamie Milligan's free kick. Milligan's centre was met by Michael Wilde whose header worked Howie.

On 23 minutes Clancy put his team ahead as he took full advantage of flat-footed Lynn defenders to give Howie no chance from close in.

Bradley Thomas was booked on the half-hour following a clumsy foul on Wilde on the halfway line.

Milligan's free kick into the box saw Howie fail to deal with an awkward bounce, which resulted in the ball squirming free from his grasp to ex-Blackpool trainee Clancy, who gleefully accepted the offering for his side's second of the afternoon.

Howie redeemed himself to save Steven Connors' piledriver with his legs. On the stroke of half-time Warren Beattie rattled the Linnets' post with Howie this time well beaten.

Just three minutes into the second half, Clancy completed his hat-trick with a carbon copy of his first goal, as his nimble feet took him past at least three Lynn defenders before confidently despatching the ball under an onrushing Howie.

Lynn were indebted to Howie, who made a string of fine saves to atone for his earlier error to keep the scoreline at a respectable level.

It took the Linnets fully 30 second-half minutes to get a sight of the Fleetwood goal, with Jack Defty's effort falling wide of Hurst's post, which drew ironic cheers from the visiting faithful stationed behind the goal.

t Fleetwood Town: Hurst, Beeley, Hills, Mercer, Tailor, Beattie, Clancy (Elderton 52), Milligan, Wilde (Bell 79), Warlow, Connors (Pond 75). Unused subs: Rouse, Adams.

t Lynn: Howie, Graham, Smith, Peters, Thomas, Camm, Mitchell (Dwyer 61), Johnson, Defty, Renton (Jouchim 50), Fisk (Kelly 58). Unused subs: Crane, Murray. Booking: Thomas.

t Referee: A W Haycock

t Attendance: 909