AFC Fylde 1 Darlington 0: Hero Haughton secures winning start to league campaign

READ MORE: Fylde sign midfielder Nolan.

A quiet game exploded into life when substitute Haughton sent a left-footed effort past keeper Johnny Saltmer to seal three points in the Coasters' first league game for almost seven months.

Fylde made three changes to the side which won at Hyde United in the FA Cup on Saturday as boss Jim Bentley granted full debuts to club captain Nathan Pond, Luke Burgess and Jordan Hulme.

It was the visitors who had the first attack of note as William Hatfield broke strongly down the right but couldn't produced a telling cross.

The Quakers started brightly as Sean Reid shot wide of Chris Neal's goal.

Striker Hulme, signed last Friday, got his firsty glimpse of goal in a Fylde shirt when he got behind the Darlington defence only to see his shot blocked.

Hulme went closer when he unleashed a left-footed shot towards the bottom left corner but Saltmer got down well to keep it out.

The visitors' best chance of the first half fell to substitute Justin Donawa, an early replacement for the injured Adam Campbell, but his shot was blocked.

The final opportunity before the break fell to the Coasters when Burgess released Kurt Willoughby but Saltmer was firmly behind his shot.

The Coasters started the second half brightly, with Willoughby rattling the bar from a free-kick won by Hulme just outside the area.

Although Fylde came out firing, Darlington kept pushing for the opener too and a corner from the right fell for Will Hatfield, whose shot from the edge of the box was blocked.

The visitors went close again when Sean Reid rose to meet a cross from the right and headed just over.

The arrival of Haughton on 64 minutes further energised the Coasters. And the substitute soon forced Saltmer into an excellent low save following Ben Tollitt's drive into the area.

With 20 minutes to go, Hulme looked to have beaten the offside trap to flash the ball across the face of goal, but when Haughton tapped home from close range the assistant's flag was raised.

Haughton did not have to wait long for his second goal of the season, controlling the ball inside the box and drilling his shot past Saltmer and into the left corner.

Donawa flashed an effort wide but the Coasters held firm for their first three points of the season.

Fylde: Neal, Burke, Conlan, Pond, Whitmore, Tollitt (Shaw 88), Philliskirk, Hulme, Burgess (Mondal 64), Perkins, Willoughby (Haughton 64); subs not used: Johnstone, Nolan.

Darlington: Saltmer, Liddle, Wheatley (Laing 90), Hunt, Hatfield, Campbell (Donawa 14), Rivers, Storey, Charman (Hedley 54), McMahon, Reid; subs not used: Watson, Armstrong,