AFC Fylde have plenty of time to turn around their recent results

The Coasters’ bid for an immediate return to non-league’s top flight had seen them win five and draw one of their opening six National League North matches.

However, they have only won one of their subsequent half-dozen league outings to leave them sixth in the table, nine points behind leaders Gloucester City – albeit with three games in hand.

They go into this afternoon’s match at Mill Farm, looking to atone for Boxing Day’s 3-1 reverse at Victory Park.

Although the results over the last six weeks or so have been disappointing from a Fylde perspective, Chadwick has cautioned against any overreaction.

He said: “I think we’re a third of the way through the season and we’ve had some excellent performances and results.

“There are one or two where we feel we could have done better but we’ve overhauled the side, it’s a new side that we’ve brought together.

“We know where we need to improve but there are 30 games still to be played yet.

“We’ve seen some very good football so far this season and we feel the players are getting a good understanding of each other and what we want from them.

“There are always going to be dips along the way but it’s my role to make sure we keep improving as a team.”

As Chadwick alluded to, the Mill Farm squad was changed over the summer with a number of players brought to the club.

Chris Neal, Nathan Pond, David Perkins and Luke Conlan were among the new recruits with Fylde out to justify their billing as title favourites in 2020/21.

Nevertheless, injuries and suspensions have struck with Perkins sitting out three games following a red card at Curzon Ashton.

Pond has battled a groin problem while Nick Haughton, the club’s star performer in the early weeks of the season, has encountered a hamstring issue.

“It’s a bit more positive,” Chadwick said of the club’s injury situation.

“We’ve missed quite a few recently with Nick, Perks and Pondy having been out.

“We’ve got a couple of them back and Nick doesn’t look like he will be far away.

“Every week that goes by, we look like we’ll be getting players back to where we want them to be.

“Every team who has three or four of its top players out, it will have a difference, but hopefully we’ll be able to move forward.”

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