AFC Fylde came away from Ashton Under Lyne with all three points after Richie Baker and Dom Collins each scored their first league goals for the Coasters.

Manager Dave Challinor gave starts to Matt Blinkhorn and Richie Baker, with Danny Rowe on the bench. New signings Ben Holmes and Dylan Versallo also featured in the squad for today’s game.

Before the game there was a minutes silence held for the victims of the Shoreham air crash.

The hosts started brightly with captain Alex Brown firing narrowly wide from eighteen yards inside the first minute. Two minutes later Joe Guest had another effort for the hosts but his effort was way over the bar. On eight minutes the Coasters took the lead from the penalty spot. A handball from a Curzon Ashton defender gave the referee no option but to point to the spot and it was Richie Baker to take. Baker’s penalty was perfect sending the keeper the wrong way with his effort low into the bottom left corner.

Curzon Ashton responded forcing two corners in quick succession but Matthew Warburton’s high and wide shot was the only effort created by the home side. Dion Charles’ persistance forced a corner which was headed behind for another on the opposite side and this time the Coasters took their chance. A whipped corner reached the far post where Dom Collins arrived to steer the ball home off his thigh into the roof of the net after twenty minutes.

Curzon became frustrated and picked up two bookings in quick succession. The first was for ex Fylde midfielder Liam Tomsett who brought down Richie Baker and the second was given to Ryan Brooke who tripped Dion Charles who had got away from his marker. It was almost three just before half time when Dion Charles’ low cross into the box was hooked towards goal by Richie Baker but his effort came back off the post and was cleared by the hosts. Ryan Brooke had probably Curzon Ashton’s best chance but his glanced header from Grayson’s cross was straight at Hinchliffe.

In the second half Curzon started brightly again. Liam Tomsett drilled a shot from twenty yards but Hinchliffe saw it all the way and made an easy save and two minutes later Niall Cummins had a header from six yards saved comfortably too. On the hour mark the job for the hosts got even harder when Chris Rowney was given a straight red card for a two footed challenge on Sam Finley. Another ex Coaster Tom Eckersley was booked for a strong challenge on Danny Lloyd.

Lloyd played a part in Fylde’s best chance of the second half. A deep cross to the back post from Finley was flicked on by Lloyd to Blinkhorn but he couldn’t control the header which had come to him quickly. With fifteen minutes to go Fylde made a double substitution with Danny Rowe replacing Matt Blinkhorn and young loanee Ben Holmes making his debut replacing Danny Lloyd and it was Holmes who should have made it three a few seconds later. Richie Baker put in a low cross which beat the Curzon defence but also Holmes himself as he miskicked from six yards out and the keeper claimed the loose ball. Curzon Ashton had one last chance as Ryan Brooke flicked on a header from a free kick which came back off the bar and was quickly cleared by the Fylde defence.

The full time whistle blew and the Coasters move up to fourth place after today’s win.

AFC FYLDE:

Attendance: 223