AFC Fylde 2 Kidderminster Harriers 1: Coasters collect three points
AFC Fylde made it two wins in a week with victory over Kidderminster Harriers at Mill Farm, in a match that was suspended because of a medical emergency in the crowd.
Goals either side of half-time from Luca Thomas and Jon Ustabasi made the difference as Fylde earned three points on Saturday.
Kidderminster came flying out of the blocks, putting the Coasters under huge pressure in the early stages.
Keeper Zac Jones was called into action on a number of occasions, while Reece Devine also struck the underside of the crossbar.
Fylde slowly grew into the contest and Thomas began to cause trouble down the right-hand side.
Craig Mahon’s side would have felt hard done by when Danny Ormerod was taken out by Kidderminster keeper Christian Dibble, who escaped punishment from referee Lewis Dawson.
Fylde went ahead on 42 minutes as Max Taylor glanced on Danny Mayor’s corner and Thomas flicked home his first Fylde goal.
Kidderminster started the second half much like they began the first and were level inside a minute, Seb Thompson’s curling effort finding the far corner.
The Coasters retook the lead two minutes later when, after good work from Mayor, Thomas switched the play and Ustabasi coolly grabbed his fourth goal of the season.
Mayor went close to making it three on the hour with a curling effort narrowly beyond the far post.
The visitors almost found an equaliser with a set-piece which saw an effort cannon off the Coasters’ post before being cleared to safety.
With a little more than 10 minutes to play, the game was suspended because of a medical emergency which saw both sets of players returning to the changing rooms before play eventually resumed.
Fourteen minutes of added time saw Charlie Jolley and Taelor O’Kane introduced to try and see out victory for Fylde.
Kidderminster had a chance at the end to equalise through Kurt Willoughby, but Jones did unbelievably well to make himself big and smother the ball.
AFC Fylde: Jones, Healy-Byrne, Taylor, C Whelan, McFayden (Brockbank 57), Mitchell, Mayor (T Whelan 66), Merrie (Wilson 66), Thomas (Jolley 83), Ustabasi, Ormerod (O’Kane 89). Subs not used: Boyes, Morris.