Match report: AFC Fylde 1 Woking 2

The hosts looked in complete control following Jordan Tunnicliffe’s opener only for two goals within a minute shortly after the break to ensure the three points returned to Surrey.

Fylde manager Dave Challinor handed a first league start to 17-year-old Serhat Tasdemir, with Jonny Smith dropping to the bench, while Jay Lynch was once again preferred to Rhys Taylor in goal.

The Coasters started brightly, with Henry Jones causing problems around the Woking penalty area, and he would have been picked out by Danny Rowe inside two minutes if it wasn’t for a last-ditch interception.

Both sides lacked a cutting edge in the early stages but the deadlock was broken after 18 minutes, when Jones floated a corner to the back post and the unmarked Tunnicliffe chested the ball over the line for his second goal in as many games.

Jones launched a sighter soon after that which flew narrowly over the bar and Rowe was next to fizz a strike at the Woking goal, though Nathan Baxter was equal to the frontman’s powerful effort.

How the home side didn’t double their advantage on the half-hour was a mystery. Another Jones corner dropped to Simon Grand at the back-post, then Rowe and Lewis Montrose before the ball was finally cleared, with almost every Woking player guarding the goal line.

Fylde were well on top but could not capitalise on a flurry of first-half corners, Tunnicliffe again going close with a glancing header.

Jones fooled everyone with a vicious free-kick that evaded the cluster of bodies in the area and forced a fingertip save from Baxter.

Woking had a decent amoung of ball but offered very little going forward in the first half. They applied pressure early in the second half but Nathan Ralph’s teasing cross was cleared comfortably.

The Coasters’ dominance continued as Tasdemir headed Jack Muldoon’s cross into the goalkeepers grateful hands.

However, completely against the run of play, Woking restored parity with their first real opportunity of the afternoon on 53 minutes.

After a corner was only half-cleared, Joe Ward’s stinging volley took a wicked deflection before nicking in off the post.

And within 60 seconds the comeback was complete. Ralph whipped in a cross from the left and on-loan Millwall striker Jamaie Philpot took advantage of the space to head home unchallenged from eight yards.

With the home fans shellshocked, Jones whistled one over the top as the Coasters looked for a way back into the contest.

Woking substitutes Inih Effiong and Jason Banton linked up but the latter slipped as he took aim from the edge of the area and his strike was tame.

Effiong found himself clean through and one-on-one with Lynch but made the goalkeeper’s job a whole lot easier by tripping over his own feet as he went to shoot.

Coasters sub Smith almost caught Baxter out with a set-piece that was arrowing toward the top corner but the Woking stopper pulled of a top save to maintain the lead.

There was still life in the Fylde attack and centre-half Grand was inches wide with a glancing header from Jones’ corner.

This was a fifth win in six league outings for Woking, who are now among five clubs a point behind leaders Sutton.

Fylde stand just one point and one place above the bottom four, having taken two points from their last five outings.

AFC Fylde: Lynch, Burke, Tunnicliffe, Grand, Francis-Angol, Bond (Blinkhorn 73), Montrose, Tasdemir (McCready 82), Jones, Muldoon (Smith 62), Rowe; Not used: Richards, Ezewele.

Woking: Baxter, Young, Wynter, Staunton, Ralph, Isaac, Ferdinand, Carter (Banton 54), Charles-Cook (Appau 88), Philpot (Effiong 65), Ward; Not used: Bawling, Mason.

Referee: Karl Evans

Attendance: 1,532