This feature divulges into the past and looks at the success that The Coasters have had since the re-branding as AFC Fylde. This week we re-visit an FA Trophy game from last season.
AFC Fylde 1-1 Kendal Town (19/10/13)
Matt Blinkhorn scored a clever second-half equaliser to earn the Coasters an FA Trophy First Qualifying Round reply with Kendal.
Blinkhorn, who was a summer signing from Hyde, netted his ninth of the season to cancel out a first-half opener against the run of play from Danny Mitchley. Fylde relinquished their division’s top spot with a midweek defeat away at Trafford and manager Dave Challinor responded with five changes to his line-up.
The away side had the best of the early chances, as Cowperthwaite had a glorious opportunity to give the visitors the lead inside two minutes, hooking over after Fylde keeper Ben Hinchcliffe flapped at a Rob Wilson corner. Aside from this early glimpse of goal, the Coasters dominated possession for most of the game.
The first came on four minutes as Joe Booth found Jamie Rainford on the edge of the box with the forward’s curling effort shaving the upright. The home side’s dominance continued but Blinkhorn failed to convert in front of goal after the lively Joe Booth exchanged passes with Jack Dorney. With ten minutes of the half remaining, Rainford blazed over after Dorney’s through ball while moments later Blinkhorn could only finish tamely after wrong-footing the Kendal defence.
Having weathered the storm, the visitors struck five minutes before the break, Mitchley holding off Fylde skipper Matt Hughes to slide the ball past Hinchcliffe following a Lloyd throw in. The lead was almost doubled before half-time as McGeechan’s long range effort was parried behind by ex-Kendal loan stopper Hinchcliffe..
Fylde equalised on 63 minutes when Dorney’s lobbed effort from the edge of the area hit the crossbar with Blinkhorn heading the ball home from a yard out. After consultation with his assistant, the referee awarded the goal despite protestations from Kendal keeper Craig Dootson, who is now a Coasters player.
The remainder of the game was an even affair with both teams going close to sealing a place in the next round but ultimately, neither side could force a winner. The Coasters did however come out on top in the return leg!
Coasters XI that day:
Hinchcliffe, Denson, Sumner, Hughes (c), Russell, Hughes, Booth, Barnes, Blinkhorn, Rainford , Dorney.
Other games from this week:
16/10/2012 – The Coasters travelled to Chorley in their first season in the Evo Stik Premier League and came away with all three points after a 4-1 victory.
17/10/2009 – The Coasters came away with a 3-0 victory over Garforth Town in 2009 in the FA Trophy, progressing later in the competition against Glapwell before being beaten by Hinckley United.
18/10/2008 – Another three points were taken away at Flixton in the North West Counties Premier League, with the final score ending 3-1 to The Coasters.
