Manager Mick Fuller had announced his intention to boost his squad last week and he was as good as his word, signing free-agent attacker Ryan Zico Black and the former Blackpool FC midfielder Matty Kay from Unibond premier club Burscough.

Tony Hesketh's Lancaster promotion-chasers arrived at Warton buoyed by six successive victories, while Fylde had conceded seven at Hinckley in the FA Trophy in midweek.

Yet he home side began positively and were rewarded on 18 minutes, when debutant Black held off two defenders and fed Matt Mahoney, whose fierce cross was slid in at the far post by Matt Walwyn – the teenager's fifth goal in four games.

Fylde continued to play good attacking football, though captain Ian Stringfellow and Andrew Teague stood firm at the back for City.

Fylde's best chance to extend their lead arrived when Walwyn broke down the left and fired in left-foot shot which was spilled by keeper Martin Fearon. Unfortunately for AFC, no-one was following up to poke the loose ball home.

Lancaster struck back with two goals two minutes which ultimately won the game, the first a low 35-yard free-kick from Adam Farrell on 43 minutes.

And in stoppage time, Roger Sharrock broke free of the defence to fire home after good work by top scorer Jordan Connerton.

As the tackles flew in throughout a highly competitive second half, it was Fylde who looked the more likely scorers.

Walwyn was always dangerous, shooting wide after getting goalside of the City defence, then failing to connect with skipper Joe Booth's drive across goal for what would have been a carbon copy of his first-half strike.

Most in the 382 crowd will have left feeling Fylde were hard done by and boss Fuller agreed.

He said: "I was pleased with the performance. We dominated the game really but went to sleep for five minutes before the break.

"They had the quality when it mattered and we needed to be more clinical in front of goal, but the lads have shown they can compete with the likes of Lancaster.

"We've seen all the top sides now, and Halifax and Skelmersdale are the two best sides we have played.

"We are looking to improve the squad further and we know we need to pick up points over the next few weeks against sides around us to get back up the table."

The teams around 14th-placed Fylde include Warrington Town, who Fuller's men entertain tomorrow in a Unibond President's Trophy second-round tie (7.45pm).

AFC Fylde: Edge, Uberschor, Elderton, Kilbane, Lawlor, Mahoney, Booth, Barnes, Dodgson (Kay), Walwyn, Zico-Black (Edwards); subs not used: Doughty, Nightingale, Dodd.