Boss wants AFC Fylde to become 'serial winners' but tonight's match is off

The dust barely settled on Saturday's scintillating 5-0 home win over Banbury United before Fylde were preparing to return to National League North action only for tonight’s Mill Farm meeting with Blyth Spartans to be postponed this morning following heavy overnight rain.

The Coasters already have Tuesday matches fixed for the next two weeks, with three more in February as Murray’s side try to play catch-up.

Back-to-back victories in 2023 have left fifth-placed Fylde five points behind leaders Darlington, who were defeated 3-0 at home by Chorley at the weekend, with five games in hand.

None of the teams above Fylde won on Saturday, when Blyth held Kings Lynn Town to a goalless draw, but Murray is focused exclusively on his own squad.

The boss said: “Results went for us, which is always nice, but for me the big thing is about this group's mentality. We really need to put our foot down and keep pushing.

"We won't accept good – we want very good, we want excellent, we want elite and that has to be the focus of the players, the staff and everyone at the football club.

“Another win is great but I'm already on to the next one and that's where our focus will be.”

But there's no doubt Saturday's biggest win of the season laid down an emphatic marker, as Murray said: “The performance was of a really high level. That's what this group of players is capable of .

“We've spoken a lot lately about being ruthless and relentless. We want to become serial winners.

“We want winning to be normal. To do that we need to have really high standards every day and the boys got their just rewards for that today.”

One worry was an injury to defender Jordan Cranston but Murray remained upbeat.

He added: “We're hoping Jordan isn't too bad. He felt a bit of cramp but we don't think it's anything serious. It was more a case of not taking any risks with him.

“We got Kyle Morrison some minutes, which we've been waiting to do, and he needs some under his belt with the month coming up.

“It was also good to get Joe Rowley on the pitch because we're going to need everybody.”