AFC Fylde 2 Barnet 4: Second-half goals see Coasters beaten

An entertaining first half saw Nick Haughton score twice for Fylde, with Gatlin O’Donkor and Harry Pritchard netting for the visitors.

Reece Hall-Johnson and Callum Stead were then on target in the second half to give Barnet three points.

Fylde boss Chris Beech made one change from Tuesday’s win at Aldershot Town, as Danny Whitehead replaced Danny Ormerod.

The Coasters led on eight minutes when Haughton was dragged down inside the box and beat Josh Keeley from the resulting penalty.

Barnet levelled with 19 minutes played after O’Donkor beat Sam Graham for pace and went through one-on-one with Theo Richardson, lifting the ball over the keeper.

Haughton’s fine solo run ended with him firing narrowly over before Barnet led on 27 minutes, Pritchard’s strike going under Richardson at his near post.

Fylde equalised three minutes later as Haughton played a neat one-two with Josh Kay from a corner and whipped in a ball that found its way past Keeley.

Graham saw a header held by Keeley, who also caught a shot from Jon Ustabasi, while Kay’s shot was charged down by Ben Coker.

With the half-time scores level at 2-2, Fylde started the second period positively with efforts from Kay and Ustabasi off target.

At the other end, O’Donker was narrowly wide with a sidefooted effort before Richardson kept out Luke Freeman’s shot.

A combination of Graham and Harry Davis thwarted Pritchard’s close-range header before Barnet went ahead on the hour when Hall-Johnson headed in from Freeman’s cross.

Haughton’s first-time shot went wide before Barnet scored again in the 74th minute.

Stead won possession from Richardson on the right side of the box before rolling the ball into an empty net.

Fylde went close as Ethan Mitchell’s strike hit the post and Pritchard cleared Ashley Hunter’s effort off the line.

Haughton’s 25-yard free-kick also went over as the Coasters were defeated at home.

AFC Fylde: Richardson, Barrett (Hosannah 79), Davis, Graham, Mitchell, Conway, Adshead (Ormerod 64), Whitehead, Kay (Hunter 64), Ustabasi, Haughton. Subs not used: Walker, Westley.

Barnet: Keeley, Brunt, Thompson, Okimo, Hall-Johnson, Freeman (Cropper 83), Oluwo (Stevens 88), Coker, Pritchard, Hartigan, O’Donkor (Stead 70). Subs not used: Gillmore, Armstrong.