AFC Fylde 2 Hartlepool 1: Two wins out of two in 2024

Nick Haughton’s superb strike and an own goal in the first 20 minutes proved decisive as Fylde backed up their New Year's Day win over Rochdale with three more National League points to climb to third-bottom.

Head coach Chris Beech named an unchanged starting XI but the first chance fell to Pools, Connor Barrett throwing himself in front of Anthony Mancini’s effort.

The Coasters were ahead on 16 minutes, when Jon Ustabasi passed to Haughton and he found the top right corner of Joel Dixon's net from outside the box.

Four minutes later, the Coasters extended their advantage when Ustabasi’s ball deflected in off Manny Onariase.

Fylde pushed for another and Dixon twice denied Luke Charman before half-time.

After the interval, Ustabasi's strike was held by Dixon, whose opposite number Theo Richardson was also called into action to save from Joe Grey.

The home keeper did even better on the hour to save at full-stretch from Callum Cooke.

Fylde substitute Josh Kay was inches from a third goal with his curled effort from long-range and Hartlepool pulled one back on 74 minutes, when Jack Hastie bent a shot into the top right corner.

And the visitors almost levelled when Cooke's free-kick crashed against the crossbar.

Ustabasi headed narrowly wide from substitute Kieran Glynn's cross before the Coasters navigated five minutes of added time.

Delighted boss Beech said: “It’s obviously better than it was and now we have to stay on that track.

"I thought we were outstanding coming out of the blocks and had plenty of chances to be in a far better position than 2-0.

"The players were excellent and we should have been five or six up at half-time.”

It means Fylde head to Essex in high spirits on Saturday to face National League South’s seventh-placed side Aveley in the fourth round of the FA Trophy.

Fylde: Richardson, Davis, Graham, Barrett, Conway, Ustabasi, Whitehead, Adshead (O’Kane 55), Haughton (Glynn 81), Ormerod (Kay 71), Charman; Not used: Walker, Rowley