AFC Fylde hope to welcome back captain Alex Whitmore for FA Trophy test against Solihull Moors

The centre-back has missed six games since suffering a hamstring injury in the 2-0 win over Gateshead at the end of October.

Influential midfielder David Perkins made his return from injury as a substitute in last weekend’s defeat at Darlington and is expected to be involved today, having experienced no ill effects.

But the Coasters are still without a handful of senior players due to injury or unavailability and manager Jim Bentley told The Gazette; “Not many clubs would have been able to deal with the loss of as many key player as we have had to.

“We are lucky to have a decent squad of players who will do well when called upon but it will be great to get more players back.

“We know injuries are part and parcel of football but we have had some rotten luck.

“But Whits has stepped up his training this week and hopefully he can play, and David Perkins will be involved.”

In tomorrow’s third-round tie, Fylde find themselves in the unusual position of being underdogs for a match at Mill Farm, where they are unbeaten since March last year.

That 18-game run started with a goalless draw against tomorrow’s opponents, who are enjoying their own impressive sequence of results in the league above.

Solihull haven’t conceded in four games at non-league football’s elite level, winning three of them.

Bentley added: “If we lose our unbeaten record to Solihull but then remain unbeaten here for the rest of the season, then I’d take that because we need this ground to be a fortress.”

Fylde’s recent problems have been away from Mill Farm, three defeats in their last four away games having seen them lose top spot in National League North to Brackley Town.

The Coasters boss spoke after the Darlington defeat about Fylde’s need to improve the ‘ugly side’ of their game when standing up to fired-up opponents in hostile territory.

And Bentley told The Gazette: “At home we’ve cracked it and we have a good record here but away we are everyone’s cup final.

“Like Farsley Celtic and Curzon Ashton, Darlington saved their best performance for us.

“They did very well with a crowd baying for blood and we have to deal with that.

“We have to go from playing on one of the best pitches in the league at Mill Farm to different environments and adapt to that.

“We’ve looked at changes of formation or personnel, all the areas where we can improve on the road.

“In the last four away games, we weren’t that happy with the Telford performance, where we won, and we’ve lost the other three. The best away performances were the first two at Guiseley and Hereford but they were back in August.

“But we’re very proud of our home record and we’d love to keep it going tomorrow in a game which is really a free hit for us.”

Blackpool’s North West Counties League clubs both go into Christmas with home games tomorrow.

Edged out by premier division leaders Macclesfield last weekend, Squires Gate face high-flying opposition again when third-placed Charnock Richard visit the Brian Addison Stadium.

AFC Blackpool look forward to their first game in three weeks against South Liverpool and aim to consolidate fifth spot in first division north.

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