The Coasters are aiming to get back on track after late heartbreak against Wealdstone FC last time out, and they will look to do so in front of the TNT Sports cameras.
Standing in their way is an in-form Hartlepool United with John Askey at the helm, and we have all you need to know about the opposition plus the latest from the Coasters Camp.
The Lowdown
The Coasters come into this televised fixture on the back of a late defeat to Wealdstone FC, a lead they relinquished following Pierce Bird’s red card around half an hour from time.
With Conor Barrett expected to be back from suspension, it should provide the Coasters with a much-needed boost and hopefully help to bring a positive result back to the Fylde Coast.
The Pools, however, will look for their fourth consecutive win after losing on the opening day to Barnet FC. With both sides scoring goals for fun and finding clean sheets hard to come by, another high-scoring affair should be in the offing.
The Manager – John Askey
A name familiar to most fan bases in the National League or the National League North, John Askey has managed a number of clubs and managed to do well with them.
An Attacker in his playing days, Askey made himself somewhat of a legend at Macclesfield Town, boasting over 500 appearances for the club with 103 goals to his name in that period.
Retiring in 2003, Askey moved straight to the touchline when standing in as Caretaker Manager before taking a role as a youth coach at Moss Rose. Askey was eventually appointed permanent Manager in 2013 and took the club to numerous mid-table finishes.
Askey also took the Silkmen to Wembley, unfortunately losing out to York City. He finally managed to gain promotion with them in 2018, despite players not being paid in certain months. Askey moved on at the end of the season to League One side Shrewsbury Town.
He lasted till November before getting the bullet before moving to Port Vale in February 2019. He managed to keep the Vale up, but the season after was disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic before getting sacked the following season due to poor results.
A little time out of the game led to Askey moving to York City as assistant to Steve Watson, who was relieved of his duties just one game into the arrangement. Askey then moved into the hot seat and guided the club to promotion to the national league on his first attempt.
Askey then surprisingly got the sack at York the following season in November, which upset fans of York. He then once again found a new home in Hartlepool, where he was unfortunate to get relegated shortly after arriving in the dugout.
With players saying he has multiple game plans and fans attracted to his football, Hartlepool may be seen as going under the radar this summer.
Key Players
David Ferguson – A left-back who’s fierce in the tackle and can also get forward and someone who will potentially cause the Coasters a few problems. Newly-made captain Ferguson is one of the more reliable names in the Pools squad, notching 129 games in a Hartlepool shirt following his move from York in 2020.
Anthony Mancini – Slightly different lifestyle for Mancini, swapping the South of France for North East England. Starting his career in the Lyon setup, Mancini moved on to Angers ii, where he made 34 appearances.
He then made the unusual move to Burnley before joining Hartlepool in the summer. Aged 22, he looks like a force in the Pools midfield, controlling games with his passing and also popping up at the right time, which has earned him a goal in one of four starts this season.
Emmanuel Dieseruvwe – A nightmare in the past for any Coasters defence, scoring for Salford in the playoff final whilst also making good appearances for Kidderminster and Boston.
Dieseruwe is a tall target man who’s silky with his feet and knows where the goal is. Also a big threat off the bench, as seen through his playoff goals and the havoc he caused with Grimsby against Notts County and Wrexham, the Englishman will play a vital role in Hartlepool’s success this season.
Previous Meetings
26th August 2017 – Hartlepool United 0-2 AFC Fylde – National League
Goalscorers: Fylde – Henry Jones, Danny Rowe
17th March 2018 – AFC Fylde 3-3 Hartlepool United – National League
Goalscorers: Fylde – Andy Bond x2, James Hardy
Hartlepool – Tunnicliffe og, Devante Rodney, Jake Cassidy
27th November 2018 – Hartlepool United 1-2 AFC Fylde – National League
Goalscorers: Hartlepool – Liam Noble
Fylde – Danny Rowe, Arthur Gnahoua
12th March 2019 – AFC Fylde 4-2 Hartlepool United – National League
Goalscorers: Fylde – Danny Rowe (x2), Fraser Kerr og, Lewis Walters
Hartlepool – Ryan Donaldson, Josh Hawkes
13th August 2019 – Hartlepool United 2-2 AFC Fylde – National League
Goalscorers: Hartlepool – Gime Toure (x2)
Fylde – Ryan Croasdale (x2)
Opposition Form
The Pools come into this game after losing once from their opening four games in their return to the National League.
A close 3-2 defeat away to Barnet was followed by wins against Gateshead, Maidenhead and Southend. Scoring goals does not seem to be a problem for the hosts, with attack being deemed as the best form of defence for John Askey’s men.
An immediate return to the EFL looks on the cards – however, it is too early to determine who will go up and down. With a strong squad, people seem to doubt the threat of Hartlepool, who are so far proving the critics wrong.
