AFC Fylde matchwinner reveals his lucky omen after Aldershot Town goal

AFC Fylde celebrate Danny Philliskirk's goal against Aldershot Town Picture: Steve McLellan

Midfielder Philliskirk’s first-half winner was enough to seal back-to-back victories for the National League relegation battlers.

It completed an excellent week for the 28-year-old, who had become a father for the second time three days earlier.

“I scored a goal in the game after my first child was born and it’s happened again,” he recalled.

“So obviously I’m delighted, though I’m still telling the missus I’m not having any more!”

The football shutdown may have halted Fylde’s new-found momentum, having taken seven points from a possible nine, but Philliskirk is hopeful the team’s growing self-belief will continue when action eventually resumes.

The Coasters remain second-bottom but the gap between themselves and safety closed from 10 points to four in the space of a week and Philliskirk added: “We’ve started to catch a few teams up.

“We’ve probably been unlucky in quite a few games but we’re starting to turn those performances into wins, and as a group, we’re delighted.

“The win over Aldershot was very important and completed a very good week for us.

“It also made the point against Solihull Moors the previous Saturday (from a goalless draw at Mill Farm) look very important.”

Philliskirk’s winner against the Shots was only his second goal of the season, scored on the rebound after his penalty was saved.

He said: “The Aldershot win was scruffy, especially in the second half, but it completed a very good week with seven points.

“Every single one of us dug in and I thought it was a really professional performance. We worked hard, did the right things, and luckily we got the win.”

Philliskirk is in his second season with the Coasters after two-and-a-half years at Blackpool, having made more than 100 league appearances for Oldham Athletic.

He has been in and out of the Fylde side, though has still racked up 35 appearances this season and is establishing a fruitful partnership with Ryan Croasdale in the Fylde engine room.

Philliskirk said: “We work hard together as a partnership, and if you don’t work together, you won’t be successful because it’s a team game. Whoever I’m playing together with we’ll keep rallying on, and if I’m not in the team, I’ll support whoever is.”