HT: 1-0

Att: 291

A goal in either half secured a vital three points for AFC Fylde which kept them in sight of the leading pack of Skelmersdale United and Chorley.

Luke Denson but the coasters ahead mid-way through the first half curling a free-kick into the top corner of Frickley’s goal and another defender, Matty Hughes, headed home the second early in the second half.

The Coasters stated their intent from the kick-off as Danny Lloyd and Joe Booth were both unlucky to be flagged for offside inside the first 60 seconds.

After debutant Ricky Anane and then Lloyd both had efforts saved or sent wide Fylde grabbed the opener from a sublimely taken free-kick.

Andy Villerman was lucky to stay on the pitch when he brought down Lloyd 25 yards out in a decent goal scoring position, only receiving a yellow card, and Denson sublimely curled the ball into the top corner, giving goalkeeper Tom Woodhead no chance of saving it on 23 minutes.

Three minutes later, Bradley Barnes thought he had doubled his side’s lead heading in Lloyd’s cross, but the linesman quickly raised his flag and the goal was disallowed for offside.

Then Lloyd missed another chance shooting wide from the edge of the box after Anane had created a great chance for him racing down the right wing and setting him up for the first time shot.

Fylde had further chances to extend their lead and the ball ended up in the Frickley net again right on half time but the linesman again had his flag up for offside and it didn’t count.

The second half began well for both sides. Lloyd had a shot saved by Woodhead before Barnes was called offside again after another fine through-ball from Anane.

Frickley then had a brief ten minutes spell where they squandered two great chances to level the tie – James Ghaichem shot wide from close range before Sam Denton headed over the bar also in a great position.

However, the second goal finally came for Fylde and it was a sucker-punch for Frickley who had been threatening – Hughes’s 56th minute header converting Booth’s in-swinging corner all but sealing the victory.

Barnes was desperate to add his name to the score-sheet for the home side and he saw three more efforts blocked or saved during an 11 minute spell which also saw Caspar Hughes and Lloyd come close as well.

Luke Hinsley forced an acrobatic save from Ben Hinchliffe when he powered a shot through a crowded penalty area with ten minutes to go and then youngster Jake Gregory was unlucky not to bag his first goal for Fylde when his shot hit Booth on its way through and went wide.

The only downside to the result for Fylde boss Dave Challinor was new signing Anane being taken to hospital with a dislocated shoulder late on adding to his already extensive injury list.

Challinor was still upbeat after the game though, saying: “It was a game we knew we had to win but obviously we went into it really, really depleted in terms of numbers, so we basically picked the formation around the side and the players we wanted to get on the pitch and get as much experience out there as possible.

“I spoke to the lads at training on Thursday and said even if we had only won 1-0 I’d have been delighted and we set up to be quite compact and defensive really as you would do away from home, but I knew the players would be able to control the ball as we had a lot of midfielders in.

“With Anane’s injury we just seem to be cursed at the minute. We brought him in and he did really well to be fair to him but it’s a freak injury once again but he shouldn’t be out too long hopefully.

“I’m delighted that we don’t have a midweek game this week as hopefully we can have one or two players back for the trip to Stocksbridge on Saturday.”

The Coasters’ next game is not until Saturday when they travel to Stocksbridge Park Steels for another league game. Kick-off is 3pm.

AFC Fylde: Hinchliffe, Denson, Sumner, M. Hughes (C), Russell, C. Hughes, B. Barnes, Winter (Quirk 88), Booth, Anane (Gregory 54), Lloyd (Winslade 82); Subs not used: Charnley, Duffield.