TOWN boss Mark Cooper has had a swipe at the media for recent criticism of his team.

Cooper is unhappy with the attention paid by the press to some the performances and his team selections since Town’s fate was sealed.

The Town boss was particularly perplexed by the reaction to his team selection at Preston, where he chose to rest seven first team players.

Ahead of the last game of the game of the regular season, Cooper would prefer instead that the media rally round and support the team.

"I think the media have made a lot of (Cooper’s approach to the play-offs). Why have you done that? Should you have done this? Should you have done that? Momentum,” the Town boss told the local media.

"I hinted at what was going to happen (before the Preston) quite subtly but after the game, (the criticism) was quite intense really. I understand why, but I don't think much needed to be made of it.

"The media are fully-entitled to their opinion and what they think, but, I could play the team that I think is going to play in the play-off semi-final and quite easily get five of them injured and they wouldn’t be fit for that.

"That is my big worry. I want to have the strongest team available for May 7th.

"If that means that we haven't won a game for a couple of weeks, then so be it.

"I just want everybody to get behind us – the press, the supporters – which I think they are on the whole – and just the whole town to get behind us because we are on the verge of achieving something that no one ever thought was possible at the start of the season.

"Instead of there being massive positivity around us, it feels as though there is a little bit of negativity.”