AFC Fylde ready for FA Trophy test at Boston United with new goalkeeper

Coasters number one Chris Neal suffered a calf injury in training at the start of the week, and with fellow keeper Max Johnstone expected to be out of action for three months after knee surgery last week, Fylde were without a senior keeper for Tuesday’s Trophy tie at Curzon Ashton.

But Youth team keeper Aaron Lancaster stepped up in style, giving a commendable debut performance in the 4-1 win which secured this weekend’s third-round trip to Lincolnshire.

Fylde boss Nick Chadwick told The Gazette: “We’ve brought a keeper in and will announce him on Friday.

“Chris just felt his calf on Monday. It’s only a minor issue and nothing serious. We could probably have pushed to have him fit for Saturday but thought it best to get someone in.

“It was a bit frustrating because in the league you can register a player three hours before a game but in the FA Trophy it has to be the day before.

“So we couldn’t get someone in for Curzon but it gave Aaron an opportunity and he did really well.

“He settled into the group no problems. He had a good presence about him and is an old head on young shoulders.

“The team on Tuesday was full of youth and it’s great to give young players an opportunity because that’s the background I come from. We have some really exciting young talent here.”

Another who came to the fore in the midweek win in Ashton-under-Lyne was two-goal Junior Mondal and Chadwick added: “I was delighted with Junior, who has worked really hard. He was frustrated at slipping down the pecking order but we thought he had lost a bit of form and confidence. But he has turned it around, performed well in training and got the opportunity.”

And the young players are having a major role to play this season, with several senior stars forced to miss games.

Nathan Pond and David Perkins are newly returned from injury and suspension respectively but now Town have key forwards Jordan Hulme and Nick Haughton on the injured list, the latter expected to be out for some time with a hamstring problem.

Chadwick added: “Jordan could be back in a week or so but, yes, we’ve had a few injured, which makes it so pleasing that we were able to make six changes the other night and still play so well.”

Fylde must not let their standards slip at Boston tomorrow but know all about their opponents after a Mill Farm meeting just three weeks ago.

“We had a really good game against Boston here,” said Chadwick. “They were the better side in the first half but we came on strong and were the better side in the second, winning 2-1, so it’s one we are really looking forward to.”

Boston have a new ground they have played at only twice and are yet to taste victory there. That ground will remain quiet tomorrow with Lincolnshire still under tier three restrictions, as indeed is Fylde.

Chadwick added: “Yes, the club had some plans in place to possibly have supporters in for the Southport game over Christmas, but it’s no real surprise that most of the country has stayed in the same tier so we just get on with it.”

The better news is over manager Jim Bentley’s recovery from heart surgery at the start of the month.

“The daily conversations with Jim are continuing and we had a good talk after the Curzon game,” said Chadwick. “He’s very much on the mend and improving all the time.”

Squires Gate and AFC Blackpool return to action as the North West Counties League restarts tomorrow.

Gate have not played since October, though Blackpool were in action in the FA Vase a fortnight ago, edged out 4-3 by Hallam in Sheffield.

AFC are back at the Mechanics Ground tomorrow, when 150 supporters can attend their first division north game against AFC Darwen.

Gate head to Oldham to face Avro in the premier division.

The West Lancashire League has abandoned its league season, inviting clubs to enter a new one-off competition in the New Year.

The WLL has accepted that the fixture backlog made it highly unlikely that all matches would be played, and the league will start again in August will all clubs in the same division as this season.

In the meantime, a regionalised cup competition is planned to begin next month, running through to the start of May. Teams would play in local groups, then eight qualifiers would play knockout ties to decide the winners.

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