AFC Fylde’s Ryan Croasdale is happy to play on the front foot

Ryan Croasdale feels like he has been released to show what he is capable of at both ends of the pitch by Jim Bentley.
AFC Fylde's Ryan Croasdale     Picture: Steve McLellanAFC Fylde's Ryan Croasdale     Picture: Steve McLellan
AFC Fylde's Ryan Croasdale Picture: Steve McLellan

Croasdale has been catching the eye at both ends of the pitch.

Alongside the industry that the midfielder provides, the 25-year-old has scored four times since Bentley’s arrival and is now joint-top scorer for the Coasters on six, level with strikers Danny Rowe and Jordan Williams.

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For Croasdale, the change in management has played a big part in his form.

He told the Gazette: “Since the new gaffer has come in we’ve been creating a lot of chances – it’s just the wins that we can’t really put on the board. That’s the frustrating part.

“The gaffer has given me the licence to go forward, working on those runs in behind Rowey or Jord to break into the box.

“In terms of the fitness levels, I’ve got that to get up and down the pitch as a box-to-box midfielder.

“Luckily the goals are coming my way, so that’s nice.

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“The shackles are off, that’s what Jim said to me. Hopefully I can get a few more goals and kick on.

“He’s been really good, really positive. He’s got us playing the right way and we’re creating a lot more chances.

“Early on in the season we’d been leaking too many goals.

“Probably from the gaffer’s time at Morecambe, where they are a lot more solid, we’ve become solid now.

“It’s about converting those chances and getting wins or draws rather than narrow defeats.”

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Croasdale also gave an insight into the early part of the season and Fylde’s aspirations going into the campaign.

“Doing so well last season, we had big hopes for title contention and to get promotion,” he added.

“But it hasn’t really gone our way. There’s been a change of manager and things happen that we can’t really change.

“The new gaffer’s in now. We’re trying to get points on the board and climb the table as quick as we can.

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“It was tough (earlier in the season). There were arguments. People were making little mistakes and ultimately mistakes were costing us in games.

“When you’re down there, you might make a little mistake and they score. But if you’re at the other end of the table, you might make the same mistake and they don’t score. It’s just the little things, the rub of the green.

“We had plenty of meetings, plenty of things to sort out. Everyone was on the same page and trying to move forward but for some reason it wasn’t really clicking.

“Unfortunately we’re in a relegation battle now and we need to find something to kick us on.”