AFC Fylde 3 Chester 1: Haughton scores at the double

Nick Haughton got the Coasters off to a flyer, when he drove a well-executed shot into the left corner of the goal before doubling his tally with a penalty past Louis Gray.

Douglas Taylor extended his side’s lead 10 minutes into the second half, when he latched on to Nathan Shaw’s cross at the back post, and Fylde held on for the win despite Kevin Roberts pulling one back two minutes later.

James Rowe made a host of changes from the Good Friday draw at Southport, with Alex Whitmore, Harry Davis, Danny Philliskirk, Ben Tollitt, Sam Osborne and Shaw replacing Jamie Stott, Luke Burke, Emeka Obi, Luke Conlan, David Perkins and Tom Walker.

Will Hatfield kept his place as his ban following a red card on Friday will only kick in at the weekend.

It was a great start for the Coasters, who took the lead in the third minute.

Taylor was set free down the left and played in Haughton, who let fly and found the corner of the net.

The Coasters were enjoying most of the possession but Chester almost levelled when Whitmore’s slip gave Declan Weeks a sight of goal but his powerful shot found only the back of the North Stand.

Haughton was seeing plenty of the ball and fired wide when Shaw’s cross fell for him on the edge of the area.

Rowe’s side doubled their lead a minute before half-time, when Osborne went down under the challenge of Darren Stephenson.

Haughton stepped up and lifted a Panenka penalty into the back of the net.

The second half got off to a frantic start. Chester's Blackpool loanee Rob Apter shot into the hands of keeper Bobby Jones, then the Coasters raced down to the other end and added a third.

Shaw received the ball on the left and flashed the ball to the back post for Taylor to tap in on 56 minutes.

The visitors pulled one back straight away, when Weeks sliced the ball to Roberts, whose header wrong-footed Jones and found the far corner.

The game fell fairly quiet from that point, though a George Glendon free-kick for the visitors sailed over the bar.

Chester were finishing the stronger as Zack Clarke tried his luck only to see his shot cannon back off a post.

The last opportunity fell to Weeks, who was denied by Jones as Fylde wrapped up the points.

With four games to play, Fylde now have a six-point cushion in third place after play-off rivals Kidderminster Harriers were held 0-0 by Kettering.

The Coasters are next in action away to fellow play-off contenders Boston United on Saturday.

Fylde: Jones, Morrison, Davis, Whitmore, Shaw, Tollitt (Conlan 62), Hatfield, Philliskirk, Osborne (Joyce 89), Haughton (Slew 76), Taylor; Subs not used: Obi, Joyce, Dobbie.

Chester: Gray, Roberts, Williams, Fitzpatrick (Grand 57), Sargent, Dackers (Clarke 57), Glendon, Stephenson, Burke, Apter (Dudley 57), Weeks; Subs not used: Stanway, Roache.