Macclesfield 1 AFC Fylde 4: Two brace aces, one incredible goal
AFC Fylde produced a statement second-half performance to run out 4-1 winners on a Tuesday night to remember at Macclesfield.
There were two goals apiece for Jon Ustabasi and Danny Ormerod, who completed the scoring from inside his own half, as Craig Mahon's side remained top of National League North with their fifth straight win.
The Coasters have scored 20 goals in those last five games, Ormerod and Ustabasi sharing 14 of them.
In-form Ustabasi opened the scoring on 17 minutes, after Kieran Coates' long throw caused chaos in the box. Will Lancaster's initial header was cleared but Ormerod slammed the ball back towards goal and Ustabasi turned it in.
The eighth-placed hosts, who had won their last four league games, began to get a foothold as D'mani Mellor's strike deflected off Corey Whelan onto the roof of the Fylde net.
From the resulting corner, the ball eventually reached Paul Dawson – a scorer in the FA Cup giantkilling of Crystal Palace – and he controlled with his chest before beating Zac Jones with an acrobatic flick for the 42nd-minute equaliser.
It meant the sides were level at the end of a physical and entertaining first 45, though Fylde would turn on the style in the second.
Lancaster found Ormerod, who finished emphatically on 58 minutes and the visitors really stamped their authority on proceedings.
After Fylde stole possession high up the field, substitute Luca Thomas squared the ball for Ustabasi to find the roof of the net for his brace – his 18th goal of the season – on 71 minutes.
Ormerod's second seven minutes later was the highlight of the night. After a strong challenge from Kieran Coates, Chris Merrie slipped a pass through to Ormerod and he hit an unbelievable strike from inside his own half for goal number 27 of his campaign.
South Shields remain a point behind Fylde after beating Worksop Town 3-1 and the top two meet on Tyneside next Tuesday. Before then, Mahon's former club Curzon Ashton visit Mill Farm this Saturday.
FYLDE: Jones, Coates (Taylor 82), Merrie, Mayor (Thomas 53), Ustabasi (McKay 89), Healy-Byrne, Lancaster, C Whelan, T Whelan (Wilson 82), Felipe (Mitchell 53), Ormerod; Not used: Boyes, Jackson.