AFC Fylde boss Nick Chadwick wants to see desire and character return in FA Trophy tie at Curzon Ashton

After a splendid start to their season, the Coasters have won just one of their least five games in National League North – a mixed bag of results which began with defeat at Curzon four weeks ago.

That 2-0 setback in Ashton-under-Lyne was Fylde’s first league loss of the season and they suffered their second on Saturday, surrendering a lead to go down 2-1 at Hereford.

It left Chadwick insisting that his side had to beat their opponents for sheer desire and physical effort, and not just rely on their footballing prowess, in order to regain the winning habit on a regular basis.

And Chadwick, who continues to deputise for Jim Bentley as the manager recovers from heart surgery a fortnight ago, is well aware that opponents are especially fired up to face his full-time side in what is predominantly a part-time league.

He told the club website: “We work hard and we’re fit, but unless you are prepared to go to your breaking point physically in every game you can be on the wrong side of the result. That’s your baseline and starting point in every game.

“If teams are going to show such willingness and desire as Hereford did, we have to more than match that.

“Some of our football was good – it always will be because we have good players – but good players don’t always get good results away from home; desire, will and character do.

“We had that at the start of the game, when we created numerous opportunities, but without those basics in any game you might be on the end of a result like that.

“It’s a tough division and we’ve found that in virtually every game we’ve played. Nobody is going to hand the points over easily.

“We haven’t been massively too high when we’ve won and we won’t get too low over a defeat. But the manner in which we played at Hereford and the identity... I don’t think that’s us. We are stronger than that in our ethic and identity.”

And where better to re-establish their identity than at Curzon Ashton, where Fylde were beaten last month after having midfielder David Perkins, their scorer at Hereford, sent off.

Chadwick added: “We are looking forward to it. We don’t like the taste of defeat but we’ll dust ourselves down. And no doubt we’ll pick the players up and be ready for Tuesday.

Tonight’s winners will visit National League North rivals Boston United in the third round this Saturday. Boston were 3-0 winners at Evesham United on Monday.

Fylde were the last team to lift the FA Trophy, beating Leyton Orient at Wembley in May 2019. Last season’s final between Harrogate Town and Concord Rangers is yet to be played.

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