Danny Rowe scored his 30^th goal of the season as AFC Fylde beat lowly Corby Town 2-1 to rise up to third in the National League North.

The Coasters top scorer opened his account for the evening shortly before half-time and sealed the points with a landmark goal two minutes from time. Kalern Thomas nicked a last gasp consolation for the visitors but Dave Challinor’s side held on for their second win in four days.

Manager Challinor made just one change from the side that saw off Boston United at the weekend with the fit again Tom Hannigan replacing Stephen Crainey at the back.

Richie Baker spurned a glorious chance just three minutes into the match when goalkeeper Sam Donkin spilled Bohan Dixon’s cross, but the midfielder was thwarted by a reaction save six yards out.

New man Dixon was next to try his luck but he managed to sky his effort from close range following Rowe’s fierce drive across goal.

Hicks fired a sighted for the visitors that flew over the bar before Baker missed another gilt-edged opportunity for the Coasters, striking Rowe’s delightful cross inches wide from just a few yards out.

It wasn’t proving to be Baker’s day as he wasted perhaps the easiest chance of his three so far on 15 minutes. Dixon played a quick one-two with James Hardy before smashing a shot a Donkin that was too hot to handle, however Baker looped the rebound over the bar from a less than six yards.

The hosts were running riot and should have taken the lead shortly after the 20 minute mark. Matty Hughes played Rowe in down the line and the frontman raced through before dinking a delicate effort over the keeper and agonisingly wide of the far post.

The game was proving to be an incredibly very open affair and Rowe had two or three further half chances, Donkin getting down well to keep out the best opportunity.

After a lull in play full-back Adam Sumner looked to reignite what had been a fantastic opening half-hour, but his right-footed strike five minutes before the break was well over from 20 yards.

The deadlock was deservedly broken two minutes later when Dixon raced down the right and delivered a superb ball across goal for Rowe to tap gratefully into an empty net.

The impressive Dixon looked to notch himself with the last real chance of the half, but his whipped shot from the edge of the area arrowed a foot wide of the far post.  

Corby came out from the interval with more purpose and Cleveland Taylor hit a shot straight at Matt Urwin shortly before Hardy and half-time substitute struck similar efforts at Donkin.

Challinor’s side lacked their cutting edge of the first half during the opening 10 minutes of the second period and struggled to slice open the visitors defence quite as frequently.

The first genuine chance of the half for Fylde came on the hour-mark when Baker pounced on a loose ball and crossed for Rowe at the back post, but his improvised header drifted out of the goalkeeper reach and wide.

Rowe had the crowd on their feet in the 66 minutes as his free-kick from 25 yards looked to have found the bottom corner, however upon closer inspection the shot was just the wrong side of the post.

The lead was ever so close to being doubled in the 74 minutes when Baker’s vicious free-kick from the left was parried by Donkin just out of the reach of the lurking Matty Hughes.

Corby were almost given an unlikely way back into the game with 10 minutes to go when substitute Ben Milnes nicked the ball from Josh Langley but was wayward with his shot when clean through.

Moments later and Rowe almost put the game out of sight. A quick Fylde break saw Hardy lay the ball off to the goalscorer Rowe however Donkin was equal to his low goalbound shot.

But with two minutes to spare the striker wrapped up the points. Sub Danny Lloyd launched a strike from fully 30 yards that Donkin spilled and Rowe was only too happy to lap up the rebound.

Thomas grabbed a consolation with virtually the last touch of the match when he tapped home following a goalmouth scramble.

AFC Fylde: Urwin, C. Hughes (46), Langley, Hannigan, Sumner, Barnes, Baker, Dixon, M. Hughes (76), Hardy, Rowe.

Subs: Hinchliffe, Crainey, Lloyd (76), Charles (46), Blinkhorn.

Corby Town: Donkin, Myles, Thomas, Courtney, Appleton, Brown (78), Mills, Taylor, Evans (79), Hicks, Marshall (79).

Subs: Draper, Reay, Milnes (79), Robbins (79), McDonald (78).

Att: 283

Ref: Jonathan Hunt