The Coasters had settle for a point against a resolute Tamworth side despite taking the lead at Kellamergh Park.

First half substitute Danny Lloyd scored the opener for The Coasters after 50 minutes when a good ball came in from the right courtesy of Richie Allen, it found Lloyd and he made no mistake from six yards out.

But Fylde had to settle for a point after Leon Mettam equalized after 64 minutes with a well-timed, acrobatic finish. Fylde couldn’t manage to find a winner in the closing stages so the points were shared.

There were four changes for The Coasters to the starting line-up for this game from the previous game at Hyde, with Tom Hannigan, Joe Booth, Matt Blinkhorn and Richie Allen coming in for Caspar Hughes who was ill, while Danny Lloyd, Danny Rowe and Matt Hamilton were on the bench.

It was nearly a great start for The Coasters, as Richie Allen received the ball just outside the box before dribbling towards goal, and hitting a right footed shot towards goal that cannoned off the post. It was the first chance in the game and the closest that anybody came to scoring in the first half.

Mike Barnes came off after 15 minutes with what looked like a hamstring injury and he was replaced by the energetic Danny Lloyd who was a menace throughout.

Tamworth had goalkeeper and captain James Belshaw to thank for keeping the score 0-0 at half time, as he made a couple of very good saves. First, Richie Allen tried his luck from 30 yards out with his left foot, but somehow, Belshaw managed to get across and tip it behind for a corner. From the resulting corner, Brad Barnes had a good effort just wide and it really was all Fylde.

Danny Lloyd tried his luck just after as he received the ball in the box, beat a man before his shot was smothered by the impressive Belshaw in the Tamworth goal. Another chance went begging for Allen as he cut inside down the right and curled in a shot towards goal that just went over the bar and it was starting to feel like another one of those days for The Coasters.

Allen and Lloyd had a chance apiece before Joe Booth went close, as his shot from just outside the box went just wide of the far post. Next, Adam Sumner’s dangerous free-kick found its way into the box and it was flicked on at the near post by Josh Wilson but Belshaw was there again to save the day for the away side.

Just after half time, Danny Lloyd managed to squirm his way free in the box and then somehow managed to get a shot away and there were cheers from the Coasters fans as a few thought it had gone in – sadly, it just hit the outside netting not the inside.

However, the disappointment was short lived as just one minute later, The Coasters took the lead, and it was that man Lloyd again. Similar to his chance a minute earlier, he somehow found some space in a crowded penalty area to whisk the ball away into the back of the net to give Fylde a one goal advantage on 50 minutes.

Richie Allen thought he had added a second goal just a few minutes later as he had the ball in the net, but he was flagged offside in what looked a debatable decision. Joe Booth then managed to get a shot away from just inside the box but Belshaw was there yet again to palm it away and out for a corner.

The Coasters peppered the Tamworth goal for most of the game, and they paid for failing to seal the game as Leon Mettam grabbed the equalizer after 64 minutes with his own piece of individual brilliance – a different form of bicycle kick. It was a great finish, but the away side had pegged Fylde back against the run of play.

It could have been 2-1 straight from the restart, as Joe Booth narrowly failed to connect with a fantastic ball in from the right from Richie Allen but Booth just couldn’t get the required contact on the ball to send it towards goal.

Joshua Sampson had the two chances for Tamworth to snatch all three points as two headers from corner fell his way in the final 15 minutes, but he couldn’t get enough power on either of them. That was about as close as Tamworth came to scoring apart from their goal, as the Coasters really dominated proceedings in this game.

Into the final 10 minutes, and Coasters boss Dave Challinor took off Blinkhorn and Booth for Hamilton and Rowe, and the latter had a couple of attempts from free-kicks but neither were anywhere near going in.

There was some very late pressure from the away side, but both teams had to settle for a point in the end.

The result means that Fylde are now three points behind top of the table Barrow, but The Coasters have a game in hand and a better goal difference/head to head than Barrow.

Next up for The Coasters is Hednesford Town away on Tuesday night. 

 

AFC Fylde: Hinchliffe, Denson, Sumner, Langley, Hannigan, Barnes ©, Booth (80), Wilson, Blinkhorn (88), Barnes (15), Allen

Subs: Lloyd (15), Hamilton (88), Tomsett, Rowe (80), Charles.

GOAL: Danny Lloyd (50)

Tamworth:  Belshaw ©, Vidal, Sampson, James, Smith, Adams (66), Wilkins, Clarke, Mettam (73), Thornton (87), Hibbert.

Subs: Trainer, Taylor (87), Styche (73), Morrell, Jackson (66)

GOAL: Mettam (64)

YELLOW: Mettam (70) Vidal (82)

 

HT: 0-0

ATT: 563

MOM: Josh Langley

REFEREE: Glen Hart