AFC Fylde’s winless run continued when Harrogate Town took all three points from Kellamergh Park in a 2-1 victory for the Yorkshire side.

After a slow start to the game, Harrogate started with the early pressing however the first real chance of the game fell to Richie Allen as he controlled a ball through to him well before trying to chip Town keeper Crook from just outside the penalty area, but Crook managed to get back onto his line to stop the ball crossing the line.

It looked as though The Coasters were on the ascendancy as ball into the box by Adam Sumner from the left hand side caused chaos in the box before being nervously cleared away by the Harrogate defender.

But after 16 minutes, Andy Gascoigne gave Harrogate the lead with a great left footed drive past Hinchliffe after some good build up play down the right hand side.from Fallowfield. 1-0 Harrogate and the goal was probably deserved after some good early pressure from the away side. 

The away side then began a period of dominance in the game. This time, Turner sent he ball in only for it to be cleared before it to came back out to to him around 35 yards out and he smashed it over the bar

There was then two very good penalty shouts for the away side both turned down.in the space of thirty seconds, as Thewlis went down under two challenges from Josh Langley. The first looked like a definite penalty as Thewlis went down in the box near the bye-line and everybody in white was fearing the worst, only for the referee not to give it. The second shout was a bit more optimistic but in the Premier League both probably would have been given.

Danny Lloyd nearly caught Crook out with a finely struck free kick just before the half hour mark, but immediately Harrogate went up the other end and scored  their second through Paul Clayton.

Clayton’s effort from around 30 yards out was straight at Fylde’s keeper Ben Hinchliffe and it was an uncharacteristic mistake from the Coasters keeper as he allowed the ball to squirm through his hands and roll into the empty net.

Half an hour had been played and Harrogate looked good value for their two goal lead. Yet again, The Coasters were really up against it.

Richie Allen went close to getting a goal back quickly, as he tried to lob the keeper again from a similar position to the previous attempt, and again it nearly catches the keeper out but again with Danny Lloyd nearly getting on the end of it too but it flew just past the post.

The introduction of Danny Rowe on 34 minutes seemed to spark something into the game as he came on for Liam Tomsett in a move which saw The Coasters play a front two of Rowe and Blinkhorn, which was effective later in the game.

Clayton + Fallowfield could have added a third goal before half time as both had chances, but Coasters keeper Ben Himchliffe made sure that the half-time score wasn’t worse than it already was for Fylde.

Allen got himself in down the right three times in quick succession just before half-time too. The first time, he managed to find Blinkhorn but his header was weak and straight at the goalkeeper but the second two eventually came to nothing and The Coasters had their backs up against the wall going into the interval.

After Fallowfield was booked for a very obvious shirt pull on Danny Lloyd just inside the Fylde half,  a free-kick opportunity arose for The Coasters and the ball eventually found its way to Rowe on the edge of the box who hit an ambitious left footed shot towards goal but it was well-kept out by Crook and gathered at the second attempt. Adam Sumner then tried his luck from just outside Town penalty area but again it wasn’t on target.

A couple more chances for the home side followed, with Brad Barnes’ effort from just outside the box  scuffed wide before Blinkhorn went close with a strong effort just inside the box but again it was high and wide of Crook’s goal.

Danny Lloyd had a strong left footed effort but it was well held by the impressive Harrogate keeper Crook, and then Richie Allen had a good effort just wide of the target.

Thewlis had a great chance to see off the game for the away side with 12 minutes remaining as he broke through and to get himself one on one with Hinchliffe, before fluffing his chance and going down injured off the pitch.

Danny Rowe gave The Coasters a lifeline with 11 minutes remaining as he made  it 2-1. He got on the end of Richie Allen’s ball in from the right hand side and put the ball in from a couple of yards out. Fylde had their goal and it could have sparked a potential comeback, but in the end it was just a consolation.

The only real chance in the last 10 minutes fell to Josh Langley as he hit a piledriver from 30 yards out but it took a last second rise and went just over the bar.

But it wasn’t to be for Fylde as Harrogate managed to inflict a third league defeat on the bounce on The Coasters.  Thankfully, the teams immediately around Fylde in the league table failed to win too and this result keeps them second in the Conference North table.

 

AFC Fylde: Hinchlffe, Hughes, Sumner (Wilson, 69), Langley, Hannigan, B. Barnes ©, Tomsett (Rowe, 34), Hamilton (M. Barnes, 60), Blinkhorn, Lloyd, Allen

GOAL: Danny Rowe (79)

Harrogate: Crook, Turner (Speight, 85), Swain, Franks, Nyoni, McGurk ©, Fallowfield, Gascoigne, Clayton, Thewlis, Emmett (Rowe, 80)

GOALS: Gascoigne (16) Clayton (29)

YELLOW: Fallowfield (50)

HT: 0-2

ATT: 427

MOM: Matt Blinkhorn