Joey Barton: Fleetwood boss says Sunderland celebrated 'like winning World Cup'

Joey Barton reacted to jibes from the Sunderland crowd by pointing at the Fleetwood badge

Fleetwood boss Joey Barton says Sunderland celebrated their 97th-minute equaliser against his side "like it was a World Cup final victory".

Max Power's strike meant the Black Cats stayed fourth in League One, keeping Fleetwood out of the play-off places.

Former midfielder Barton spent four years with Sunderland's arch rivals Newcastle as a player.

"You'd rather come and pay to watch us than pay to watch them, we play much better football," he said.

Barton told BBC Radio Lancashire: "They're playing punt football - two big lads up there in [Kyle] Lafferty and [Charlie] Wyke, who they've paid more for than our total budget - and they're just banging balls at them."

Fleetwood have lost just one of their past 15 league games, with Barton having been in charge since the summer of 2018.

The Lancashire club were in the seventh-tier Northern Premier League as recently as 2007-08, enjoying four promotions over the past 12 seasons.

"We've got to take real pride that Sunderland AFC, three years ago in the Premier League, have just celebrated drawing with little old Fleetwood Town in their own stadium like it was a World Cup final victory," said Barton.

"We should've been going above them in the table - if we meet them in the play-offs would we be fussed about it? I don't think so."