AFC Fylde 1 Chesterfield 3: Match report

Danny Rowe gave the Coasters an early lead but a Will Evans free-kick and a brace from Tom Denton put the Spireites into the hat for Monday’s first round draw.

The Coasters started brightly and, after some nice build-up play, Ash Hemmings headed over the first chance of the game following Joe Cardle’s cross from the right.

Twelve minutes in and Dave Challinor’s players took the lead.

A corner from Cardle resulted in some pinball in the penalty area before the ball fell kindly to Rowe, who drilled the ball home into the bottom left corner from 15 yards.

The visitors responded, and after several minutes of pressure, they got their reward.

The Coasters conceded a cheap free-kick on the edge of the box and defender Evans rifled the ball into the net from 25 yards to level matters.

Fylde should have gone back in front almost straight away.

Rowe played a defence-splitting pass to the unmarked Cardle down the right wing and he squared for James Hardy six yards out but, somehow, the Chesterfield defence blocked the ball off the line.

Eight minutes later and the Spireites were in front.

A foul on Denton following a corner gave the referee little option and he made no mistake, sending Jay Lynch the wrong way from 12 yards.

Fylde came out brightly once again in the second half and were inches from an equaliser six minutes in.

A Cardle cross from the right was flicked on by Danny Philliskirk but he could only guide the ball just over the bar from 12 yards.

Gime Toure made his return with half an hour left, replacing Ryan Croasdale, and he almost made an instant impact.

Again, a cross from Cardle – this time to the near post – was met by Toure but his acrobatic flick went wide of goal.

Chesterfield then doubled their advantage 20 minutes from time.

The Coasters were slow to react to a corner from the right and Denton made them pay by heading past Lynch from eight yards at the near post.

Hemmings almost got the Coasters back in the game with five minutes to go when his thunderous effort came back off the crossbar but that was the last of the chances.

Fylde will look to bounce back from only their second defeat of the season when they travel to Maidenhead United on Saturday.

AFC Fylde: Lynch, Birch, Byrne, Tunnicliffe, Francis-Angol, Croasdale (Toure 60), Hardy, Philliskirk (Tasdemir 73), Cardle, Rowe, Hemmings. Subs not used: Bond, Griffiths, Bewitt, Burke, Kellermann.

Chesterfield: Burton, Muggleton, Evans, Hollis, Maguire, Binnon-Williams (Reid 56), Weston, Rowley, Kiwomya, Denton (Amantchi 90), Shaw (Hines 64). Subs not used: Anyon, Nelson, Fortune, Wakefield.

Referee: Josh Smith

Attendance: 1,092.