AFC Fylde 5 Spennymoor Town 0: Ustabasi hat-trick for midweek maestros
AFC Fylde defeated Spennymoor Town 5-0 for the second time this season as Jon Ustabasi fired a midweek hat-trick.
The second-placed Coasters also cut South Shields’ lead to four points in National League North as they scored five at Mill Farm for the second successive Tuesday.
Craig Mahon’s side were in front after just 16 seconds and two up in six minutes as Fylde got straight back into the groove after Saturday’s postponement at Hereford.
Danny Ormerod grabbed Fylde’s quickest goal of the season when he blasted home from the edge of the box, fed by Felipe Rodriguez-Gentile.
Ustabasi wasted no time in doubling the lead with a curled finish which left goalkeeper Bradley James helpless.
A flurry of Fylde chances followed, the best of which saw Tom Whelan shoot just wide on the half-hour mark.
Glen Taylor blasted over for the visitors from 12 yards but it took an outstanding double save by James to deny Ormerod a second after good work by Lincoln McFayden.
The County Durham side started the second half brightly and Rob Ramshaw forced Fylde’s Zac Jones into a fingertip save.
Ormerod slammed a shot against a post, with McFayden again the supplier, before Fylde made it three on 56 minutes, when Tom Whelan’s free-kick was headed into his own goal by Dan Jones.
It was 4-0 on the hour as Ormerod’s shot was deflected to the feet of Ustabasi, who tapped in a landmark goal for Fylde – their 500th in this league.
And Ustabasi completed Fylde’s first hat-trick of the season on 67 minutes, slotting home his fifth goal in two games after Luca Thomas and Felipe linked up.
And with South Shields held 2-2 at Scarborough Athletic, the Coasters cut the gap at the top and still have a game in hand, with another home fixture to follow against Alfreton Town this Saturday.
Mahon told the club’s media team: “Professional, attacking, front foot ... it was a perfect performance, even better than the 5-0 at their place.
"It's a great result but we stay humble and move on.”
FYLDE: Jones, McFayden, Taylor (Lancaster 70), Merrie (Wilson 70), Mayor (Mitchell 63), Ustabasi (Hunter 68), Healy-Byrne, C Whelan, T Whelan, Felipe, Ormerod (Thomas 63); Not used; Boyes, Coates.