Hereford 2 AFC Fylde 1: Bulls come from behind to inflict second league defeat
The Coasters arrived at Edgar Street on the back of a 12-day break from competitive football and Nick Chadwick made an array of changes to the side that had drawn 3-3 with Bradford (Park Avenue) last time out.
Nathan Pond was back to captain the side following an injury lay-off and David Perkins returned to the heart of midfield after his three-game suspension had been served.
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Hide AdNathan Shaw also returned to the team as winger Luke Brennan dropped to the bench.
The visitors started the game brightly, with Alex Whitmore coming close to netting his first goal of the season after latching on to an inviting Danny Philliskirk cross.
The defender arrived at the back post completely unmarked but didn’t connect cleanly with the volley.
It didn’t take long for Fylde to get their noses in front, though. Perkins was the man to give the Coasters a dream start after seven minutes, when his strike somehow found its way past Brandon Hall in the Hereford goal.
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Hide AdBen Tollit’s free-kick wasn’t dealt with properly by the Hereford defence, allowing Philliskirk to tee up his midfield partner to fire home with the help of a wicked deflection.
Moments later, Liam Nolan was presented with a glorious opportunity to double his team’s lead but the midfielder dragged his volley wide from eight-yards out.
Hereford began to grow into the game as the Coasters took their foot off the gas after the early onslaught.
On the half-hour mark, it took some heroic defending from Pond to prevent Kennedy Digie from heading home an inswinging corner – the skipper somehow getting his head to the ball before the onrushing Bulls player.
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Hide AdOn 31 minutes, some terrific defensive work from Philliskirk sent Kurt Willoughby through on Brandon Hall in the Hereford goal but the keeper got down well to block the striker’s left-footed strike.
The hosts equalised on 36 minutes, when Lenell John-Lewis outmuscled Luke Conlan on the corner of the six-yard box and somehow found the bottom corner from a tight angle.
It seemed to inject some belief into the Hereford team that up until that stage had struggled to forge any clear openings.
The Coasters began the second half as they did the first, with intent and purpose.
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Hide AdPond, up from defence, almost got on the end of a Nathan Shaw cross on 50 minutes, but it was John-Lewis who was continuing to cause havoc at the other end of the pitch.
On 59 minutes he grabbed his second goal of the game, expertly volleying the ball past Neal after a Daniel Jones cross wasn’t cleared.
With 20 minutes left Shaw produced Fylde’s best moment in the second half. The young Blackpool loanee cut inside onto his favoured left foot and fired in a shot which Hall palmed away for a corner diving to his right.
Although Pond joined the Coasters attack and long balls were pumped forward, it was Hereford who looked the more dangerous on the counter-attack.
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Hide AdIt took a fantastic late save by Neal to keep the scoreline at 2-1, with John-Lewis involved again in a crowded penalty area.
The final whistle brought an end to an under-par performance for Fylde, who will be back in action in the FA Trophy at Curzon Ashton on Tuesday.
To complete a bad day for Fylde, 1-0 wins for leaders Gloucester City and Kidderminster Harriers left the Coasters six points off the pace in third place.
Fylde: Neal, Burke (Brennan 76), Conlan, Pond, Whitmore, Perkins, Philliskirk, Nolan, Tollitt, Shaw, Willoughby; Subs not used: Sanders, Sampson, Lussey, Ogle.
Hereford: Hall, Hodgkiss, Grimes, Camwell (Klukowski 70), Owen-Evans, Finn, Digie (Coke 90), John-Lewis, McQuilkin, Lloyd, Jones; Subs not used: White, Nabi, Whittingham.