Match Report: Lancaster City 1-2 AFC Fylde

AFC Fylde kicked-off their pre-season schedule with a 2-1 win away at Lancaster City on Friday night.

The Coasters were in front at half-time through a late trialist goal in the first-half, however Chris Dagnall levelled seven minutes after the interval.

Fylde restored their advantage through Nick Haughton’s free-kick on the hour, and it proved decisive at The Giant Axe.

Head Coach Chris Beech named two line-ups for each half as the Coasters returned to action.

There were also starts for Emeka Obi, Adam Long, Bryce Hosannah, Taelor O’Kane, Jack Morris and Danny Ormerod.

New signing Corey Whelan captained Beech’s first-half team whilst Harry Davis took the armband for the second-half.

Early on, good build-up play from Lancaster’s Marcus Cusani and Charlie Bailey down the left had to be cleared, with the resulting in-swinging set-piece delivered into a crowded box by Sam Bailey could not find a blue shirt.

Up the other end, Hosannah burst down the right but saw his low cross turned behind for a corner, with Obi and Long unable to reach the following set-piece.

Towards the half-hour, former EFL forward Dagnall shot across goal from the right, which dropped to an unmarked Kilifin who struck wide from six-yards.

Minutes later, Hosannah got behind the Lancaster back-line down the right to hit a powerful effort into the side-netting.

A Coasters’ trialist went close five minutes before half-time, bending his left-footed effort narrowly over the crossbar.

But the same trialist would not be denied on the stroke of half-time, profiting from a lose ball to unleash an excellent right-footed strike which curled beyond the goalkeeper and into the top right-corner which put the Coasters ahead.

Half-Time: Lancaster City 0-1 AFC Fylde

The second-half saw Davis, Owen Evans, Theo Richardson, Ethan Mitchell, Jessie Halewood, Joe Riley, and Charlie Jolley enter the action as Beech named 10 changes.

Richardson was called into action almost immediately when he had to punch a cross away from danger under pressure.

Lancaster levelled with 52 minutes. Dagnall received possession from Charlie Bailey, who 18-yards from goal, fired a shot past Richardson which hit the base of the right-post before crossing the line.

Fylde threatened when Jolley was played through after a neat passing build-up, but the Lancaster goalkeeper was quickly off his line to save.

Beech’s men would go back into the lead on the hour after Haughton weaved past four players before eventually being fouled.

The Coasters’ number 10 stepped up himself to bend the resulting free-kick over the wall and into the top-left corner, beating the goalkeeper who was at full stretch.

Richardson made an excellent low save in the later stages of the contest, dropping down well to his left to keep out a Lancaster trialist with six minutes left and ensure the Coasters began their pre-season schedule with a victory.

AFC Fylde first-half: Trialist, Obi, Long, Hosannah, Whelan ©, Trialist, Trialist, O’Kane, Morris, Trialist, Ormerod

AFC Fylde second-half: Richardson, Evans, Davis ©, Trialist, Riley, Halewood, Mitchell, Trialist (McCullion 67), Trialist, Haughton, Jolley

Subs not used: Meadowcroft, Holder

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