This feature explores past AFC Fylde results week by week. This time, we look back on last season’s 1-1 draw away at Ashton United in the Evo Stik Premier League……

Ashton United 1-1 AFC Fylde (15/02/2014)

The Coasters extended their unbeaten run in the Evo-Stik Premier Division to seven games after a hard-fought draw with Ashton United.

The home side produced the same kind of form that had seen them go on an eight game winning run over the Christmas and New Year period and took the lead inside 16 minutes when Matthew Chadwick’s corner was deflected into his own net by Richie Allen.

But Allen made amends on the half hour by scoring a fantastic solo effort from the edge of the box to level the game, and that’s the way it stayed. Despite end-to-end football and decent chances to snatch the victory falling to both sides, both managers felt the draw was the fairest result after the game.

The home side began with a good spell of pressure. Ben Hinchliffe had to be at full stretch to deny Dale Johnson’s header going in but from the resulting corner, they somehow found the back of the net. It looked as though Chadwick has scored direct from the corner but after lengthy discussions it was confirmed the final touch came off Allen at the near post.

And Ashton almost doubled their lead a minute later when Joe O’Neill headed narrowly over the Fylde crossbar. Fylde came back strong and Sean Cooke could have snatched an equaliser on 27 minutes. He was played through one-on-one with Phillips, but the Ashton stopper read it well and came out to clear the ball before any shot was taken.

Three minutes later Fylde did find an equaliser. Some good passing meant the ball found its way to Allen out wide and he was able to beat two defenders, cut inside and blast the ball past Phillips.

The second period was just as even but with the pitch in a bad state because of heavy rain and winds over the past few days, attractive football was at a minimum from then on.

The best chance of the half fell to Fylde on the hour mark – Allen was played through by a wonderful pass from Joe Booth and he opted to go it alone and shoot high and wide, therefore facing the protestations of Danny Lloyd who was in acres of space to his right.

The last half hour saw both sides battle for possession in midfield and despite further half-chances falling for Lloyd, Cooke, Pilkington and Chadwick, the honours were shared.

Coasters XI that day:  Hinchliffe, Hankin, Sumner, M. Hughes (C), Russell, B. Barnes, Lloyd (M. Barnes 72), Booth (Winter 72), Blinkhorn, Cooke, Allen

Subs not used: C. Hughes, Denson, Charnley.