AFC Fylde 4 Southport 0: Coasters in top spot with one game to go
AFC Fylde moved to the top of the National League North with one game to play as Craig Mahon's side recorded a 4-0 win over Southport.
A first-half double from George Wilson and Luca Thomas, followed by second-half strikes from Felipe Rodriguez-Gentile and Ethan Mitchell, proved the difference at Mill Farm.
The Coasters started the afternoon level on points with title rivals South Shields, with just two goals separating the two sides.
But Fylde got off to a quickfire start, taking the game straight to the Merseyside outfit.
Mahon's side had the deadlock broken inside 17 minutes and it was the ever-impressive Thomas with the opener. As the ball fell loose from a corner, Thomas smashed the ball into top corner, leaving goalkeeper Chris Renshaw with no chance.
With ten minutes to go until the break, Wilson, who put in a man-of-the-match display, doubled the lead. A mix-up in the Southport defence allowed Rodriguez-Gentile in on goal, and after Renshaw's initial save, Wilson tucked away the rebound to make it two to the Coasters.
There was almost a third before the break as Rodriguez-Gentile and Will Lancaster almost converted from a corner, but Fylde headed into the changing rooms hungry for more, with South Shields drawing goalless with Bedford Town.
Within four minutes of the restart, Fylde had their third. A fine pass from Mitchell played Adam Lewis down the left, and he put the ball on a plate for Rodriguez-Gentile to tap in at the North Stand to make it three.
The Preston loanee almost had a second moment later as he met another Lewis delivery, but his flicked finish came off the top of the bar.
Renshaw was then called into action to deny Mitchell, whose curling effort almost made it four for Fylde.
But Mitchell did grab his goal with just under 20 minutes to play as he skipped around a challenge and struck a driven effort from the edge of the area into the bottom corner as Fylde wrapped up the vital three points.
Substitute Jack Morris put in a very impressive cameo performance off the bench and almost topped off a great display with a goal as he forced the Southport skipper into a last-ditch challenge.
But it was a fantastic afternoon for the Coasters, who now know a win on the final day will earn them the National League North title as they make the long trip to South Wales to face Merthyr Town.