Match report: AFC Fylde 2 Morecambe 1

A goal in either half from Danny Rowe and Jordan Tunnicliffe sealed an impressive victory for AFC Fylde over League Two side Morecambe.
Jordan Tunnicliffe (number five) heads home the winning goalJordan Tunnicliffe (number five) heads home the winning goal
Jordan Tunnicliffe (number five) heads home the winning goal

The Coasters dominated for large parts of the match at Mill Farm and could have put the result beyond doubt before Rhys Turner nodded home a consolation goal for the visitors.

Despite a bright start for the visitors, it was the home side that took the lead inside 10 minutes.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Nicky Hunt whipped in a telling cross from the right that Andy Bond brought down with a deft touch allowing Rowe to fool the goalkeeper with a clever shot into the bottom corner.

Morecambe should have been level on the quarter-hour mark when a deep cross found the unmarked Vadaine Oliver but he guided a powerful header wide of the upright.

The Coasters hit back with a glorious chance of their own second later when Henry Jones floated an inviting ball into the box and Bond saw his glancing header come back off the post.

Veteran wideman Kevin Ellison was looking a handful for the Shrimps and was narrowly over with a left-footed effort from 15 yards.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Midfielder Sam Finley went for the spectacular as the hosts continued to dominate when he flashed an audacious volley a foot wide of Dan Nizic’s post from 25 yards.

The second half was a closer run affair with both teams struggling to carve out any clear cut opportunities early on.

However, that all changed moments before the hour when the Coasters deservedly doubled their lead.

Half-time substitute James Hardy’s corner picked out Tunnicliffe on the six-yard line and the defender nodded the ball beyond Nizic.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Rowe really should have done the same a minute later when Muldoon whipped in a cross from the right, however the forward glanced his near-post header across goal and wide.

The visitors halved the deficit in the 67 minute against the run of play, Turner beating Jay Lynch to Luke Conlan’s cross to head the ball into the gaping goal.

Conlan tested Lynch with Morecambe’s next meaningful chance but the Fylde stopper kept out the midfielder’s low drive.

After a relatively quiet spell, the hosts came back to life and went close to a third when Finley’s deep cross was lifted narrowly over the bar by Bond at the back post.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The midfielder almost had his goal in added time, albeit in slightly fortunate circumstances, when his tame effort from 18 yards was spilled by Nizic only to be recovered in the nick of time on the line.

AFC Fylde: Lynch, Hunt (Ezewele 73), Langley, Tunnicliffe, Francis-Angol, Montrose, Bond, Finley, Muldoon (Tasdemir 82), Jones (Hardy 46), Rowe.

Morecambe: Nizic, Lund, Trialist, Kenyon (Fleming 61), McGowan, Rose (Hedley 77), Wildig (Brough 61), Conlan, Campbell (Turner 46), Oliver (Deakin 46), Ellison (Thompson 70).

Referee: David Underwood.

Attendance: 635.