Luke Conlan’s late winner earned AFC Fylde a dramatic 2-1 win over Kidderminster Harriers at Mill Farm.
Conlan’s decisive moment came after two previous goals in the final ten minutes from Luke Charman and Kidderminster’s Kieran Phillips in a dramatic finale, which secured the Coasters’ first triumph of the Vanarama National League season.
Manager Adam Murray brought in captain Alex Whitmore in place of the suspended Harry Davis, alongside Jon Ustabasi for Gold Omotayo.
The Coasters’ first threat towards goal saw Josh Kay deliver a corner into a crowded penalty box, which was flicked narrowly wide by Charman before Theo Richardson was called into action minutes later, superbly thwarting Zak Brown’s first-time volley to push the strike over the crossbar after a corner wasn’t cleared.
Whitmore was then well-positioned to head Richards’ whipped cross away from danger, as Russ Penn’s men pushed for an opener.
Fylde’s next chance came when goalkeeper Christian Dibble’s weak clearance landed at the feet of Ustabasi, who drove forward into the box, though his pass towards the unmarked Charman was smothered by the Harriers stopper.
Midway through the half, Danny Whitehead found Charman who cut inside and struck a powerful left-footed effort across goal heading for the top corner, which Dibble dived high to his right to tip the ball to safety. Nick Haughton’s resulting set-piece was scrambled away upfield by the visitors’ defence.
On the half-hour, Nathaniel Knight-Percival found himself in space to shoot from distance, which was straight into the gloves of Richardson before the visitors attacked again, which saw Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain break forward following a swift counter-attack – however, he blasted his attempt over Richardson’s crossbar under pressure from Conlan.
Half-Time: AFC Fylde 0-0 Kidderminster Harriers
The second half started with Kidderminster putting significant pressure on the Coasters. Firstly, Oxlade-Chamberlain took aim in the box and looped off a combination of Pierce Bird and Conlan.
But Fylde had more defending to do after Oxlade-Chamberlain met the following corner, which was eventually cleared off the line.
Ashley Hemmings got the better of Josh Kay out wide before shooting low across the turf, drawing a save from Richardson down to his left.
Pushing for an elusive opener, Whitmore headed a Whitehead cross straight at Dibble prior to Charman hitting a half-volley having reacted first to a long ball before substitute Jack Lambert then saw his fierce shot from the edge of the box blocked by Emeka Obi.
Lambert tested the reaction of Richardson with a first-time snapshot, whilst Richards bent a shot which crept narrowly over Richardson’s upright.
Substitute Tom Walker very nearly made an immediate impact after playing a neat one-two with Charman to deliver a pinpoint cross, which Kidderminster hurriedly cleared.
The opener came soon after when Charman opened the scoring with a well-taken, powerful strike inside the box, which beat Dibble on 80 minutes.
Moments later, the Coasters went close to adding a second when Omotayo’s header thumped off the crossbar from Charman’s cross.
However, Kidderminster were level after Phillips’ audacious chip from distance looped over the head of Richardson, but that was not the end of the drama, as Emeka Obi teed up Conlan in the area to bundle in a late winner past Dibble in the dying embers.
AFC Fylde: Richardson, Conlan, Whitmore ©, Bird, Obi, Kay (Walker 74), Philliskirk, Whitehead, Haughton (Ligendza 87), Ustabasi (Omotayo 67), Charman
Unused subs: O’Kane, Glynn,
Kidderminster Harriers: Dibble, Penny, Richards, Knight-Percival, Pearce, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Lissimore, Leesley, Morgan-Smith (McDonach 86), Brown (Lambert 57), Hemmings (Phillips 75)
Unused subs: Palmer, McNally,
