A brace from leading marksman Danny Rowe secured a well-deserved 2-1 victory away at Gainsborough Trinity.

Rowe struck his 40^th league goal of the season to put the Coasters ahead in the first half, however Trinity hit back shortly after the break with a controversial penalty from Jordan Thewlis.

It was to be Rowe who had the last laugh though when some superb individual skill saw him fire home with the aid of a deflection from midfielder Ioan Evans to maintain the 11 point lead at the top of the National League North table.

Manager Dave Challinor shuffled his pack ahead of the match with Macauley Wilson and Matty Hughes replacing Caspar Hughes and Brendon Daniels, whilst Sam Finley made his first start since November in place of Bohan Dixon.

The Coasters looked to utilise Dan Jones’ huge throws right from the off and Dom Collins headed narrowly over from one of his speciality catapults.

Finley was a whisker away from breaking the deadlock when another Jones’ throw was knocked down by Rowe but his snatched effort from ten yards was less than a foot over the bar.

Rowe almost found the opener himself moments later when he launched a set-piece from fully 35 yards that whistled agonisingly wide of the post.

Rowe was looking lively in the opening stages and did well down the right before picking out Dan Bradley who saw his first time strike at the near post blocked. The Coasters top scorer was getting closer and fizzed another powerful free-kick straight down the throat of Trinity stopper Tom Nicholson soon after.

The hosts tested Fylde with a couple of dangerous set-pieces but nothing of real note in a relatively uneventful first half-hour.

However, the match suddenly came to life in the 41^st minute as the Coasters took the lead. Under pressure from Finley, stopper Nicholson failed to deal with a back pass and cleared straight to Rowe who looped the ball over the stranded goalkeeper from 25 yards.

Gainsborough fashioned their first real opening of the match two minutes after the break when striker Ashley Worsfold span his man on the edge of the area and fired a low stinging strike that was well turned around the post by Rhys Taylor.

Dom Collins had a glorious chance to double the advantage a moment later when a pass from Jones was deflected into his path on the 18 yard line, but the defender scuffed his effort the wrong side of the upright.

Rowe picked up where he left off after the break and raced the length of the half before cutting inside and rifling a vicious strike over the bar.

Nine minutes after the break and the visitors were back on level terms. Thewlis broke into the box and despite going down rather theatrically, was awarded a penalty that he stepped up to convert into the bottom right hand corner.

Frontman Rowe continued his pursuit of more goals with another fierce free-kick that was tipped over the bar. Laurence Maguire went closer still from the resultant corner, watching on in despair as his strike at the back post was cleared off the line.

Gainsborough certainly provided more of an attacking threat in the second half and Taylor had to been on his toes to keep out Callum Chippendale’s deflected strike from 20 yards.

However with fifteen minutes to play, Rowe put the visitors back ahead with his second of the afternoon. The in-form hitman turned his man inside out to the left of the area before letting rip with a left-footed strike that was deflected past his own goalkeeper by Ioan Evans.

Gainsborough huffed and puffed in the final ten minutes but the Fylde backline stood strong and claimed a valuable three points to remain 11 points clear at the top.

 

Gainsborough: Nicholson, Jacklin, Beatson, Nyoni (Wiles 73), Wilson, Evans, Chippendale (Jarman 84), Tempest, Worsfold, Thewlis, Davie (Bailey-King 81).

Subs not used: Salt, Willis.

AFC Fylde: Taylor, Wilson (C. Hughes 45), Collins, Maguire, Jones, Bond, Finley, Morgan (Baker 82), Bradley, M. Hughes (Daniels 71), Rowe.

Subs not used: Dixon, Blinkhorn.

Att: 469

Ref: Darren Middleton