AFC Fylde head coach welcomes keepers' competition for a starting spot

Both 23-year-olds arrived at Mill Farm in July but New Zealander Jones has been preferred in National League North.

Boyes made the most of an opportunity to stake his claim in last Saturday’s FA Trophy win at Solihull Moors, saving three penalties and scoring Fylde’s final one in the 9-8 shootout win which followed a 2-2 draw.

Mahon told the club’s media team: “Pat has been on the bench and he’s probably been frustrated and wanting a game, but every time he’s come in he has stepped up to the plate.

“From day one, Chris (Neal, goalkeeping coach) said ‘We need to keep this kid’ and I trust Chris’ knowledge and experience.

“Hopefully he and Zac keep pushing each other and, when we have that, it just makes us a better team.”

Boyes was just delighted to grasp his opportunity and said: “Being a number two keeper, chances like that are few and far between, but I’m buzzing we got the win and buzzing for the goalkeeping union.

“We came here to prove a point that we can compete at this level and we’ve done that.

“I’ll take credit for two of the penalty saves but I’ll give Nealo credit for the other because I’d probably have gone the other way if it wasn’t written on my bottle!”

The former King’s Lynn Town keeper had gone into the tie prepared to save penalties, but he wasn’t expecting to take the one which won it.

He admitted: “When it got to seven or eight, I started to think, ‘I’m going to have to take one here’.

“I changed my mind last minute, just wrapped my foot across it and it’s gone in!”

Fylde’s reward is a trip to Hereford on January 10 but they face four NLN games before then, starting at Kidderminster Harriers on Saturday.

Mahon added: “The league is our bread and butter and that’s our mindset, but the cup run is brilliant.

“Every game we play in the Trophy, we’ll just go and enjoy ourselves with no pressure.”