Chorley 0 AFC Fylde 1: Whitmore a winner in Coasters' late show

Captain Alex Whitmore headed the only goal in stoppage-time to seal Fylde's first league win over their neighbours in four attempts and get their 2023 off to a flyer.

Adam Murray made three changes to the side beaten at Mill Farm six days earlier, with Luke Conlan, Danny Whitehead and Mo Faal all recalled, with forwards Nick Haughton and Luke Charman dropping to the bench and Pierce Bird missing out.

It was a National League North game of few chances, though Fylde had the first effort of note on 10 minutes, when Siya Ligendza, drifted inside and struck wide from 25 yards.

Fylde went closer to opening the scoring in the 28th minute, when Jordan Cranston’s corner was headed goalwards by Emeka Obi at the back post only for the ball to be cleared off the line with keeper Matt Urwin beaten.

Chorley’s first sighter came after half and hour courtesy of Billy Whitehouse from distance but Chris Neal watched the ball safely into his clutches.

The half ended with another rare piece of goalmouth action as Faal headed inches over from a first-time Cranston cross.

Whitehouse looked to punish a loose pass from Conlan shortly after the restart as he burst forward and released Ollie Shenton, whose low drive was saved by Neal.

The Coasters raised the tempo and Danny Whitehead came more into the game on the right.

He set up another opportunity for Faal, who ran onto the ball strongly but headed into the hands of Urwin.

Fylde introduced Haughton and Charman midway through the second half but Faal continued to look the likeliest scorer.

Seven minutes remained when he controlled Conlan's cross to the back post only to see his deflected effort loop over.

The resulting corner was headed wide by Obi as it began to look like the Magpies would take four points from Fylde for a second successive season.

But in the second minute of added time, Haughton won a free-kick which he delivered to the back-post, where Whitmore thumped his header back across goal and into the bottom right corner.

The win lifts Fylde a place to sixth, seven points behind new leaders Brackley Town with four games in hand.

Fylde: Neal, Cranston (Haughton 68), Obi, Whitmore, Philliskirk, Faal, Conlan, Barrett, Whitehead (Rowley 77), Hatfield, Ligendza (Charman 68); Not used: Burke, Morrison.

Chorley: Urwin, Henley, Wilson, Leather, Nolan, Whitehouse, Calveley, Ustabasi, Shenton (Tomlinson 77), Blakeman (Johnson 90), Hall (Owens 84); Not used: Smith, Scarborough.