Oldham Athletic 1 AFC Fylde 1: Honours even after Riley rocket
AFC Fylde made it four points from their first three National League fixtures with a 1-1 draw at Oldham Athletic on Tuesday.
They responded well to Saturday's first defeat at early pacesetters Eastleigh as Joe Riley gave the Coasters a half-time lead with a high-quality finish.
But Manny Monthe equalised on the hour, when his long-range effort slipped through the fingers of debutant keeper Ben Winterbottom.
Oldham had won their first two games and applied early pressure but Fylde's defence stood firm at Boundary Park.
Monthe's header flew just wide of the far post before Fylde really began to take the game to Micky Mellon’s side.
Fylde got in behind when Charlie Jolley broke free of a challenge and released Jon Ustabasi, whose cross was well held by Latics keeper Matt Hudson.
The visitors got goalside of the defence again when Nick Haughton threaded a wonderful ball to Ustabasi, whose pass was cut out with Jolley poised for a tap-in.
Fylde scored from the resulting corner on 36 minutes as Riley, picked out by Haughton, fired a wonderful curling effort into the top right corner.
The visitors took their lead into a second half which became scrappy and was littered with free-kicks.
Its decisive moment came on the hour, when Brentford loanee Winterbottom couldn't hold a 25-yard drive by former Tranmere Rovers and Walsall centre-half Monthe, whose first goal for the Latics tied up the match .
Fylde went closest to a winner when Haughton, who had few chances to add to his five goals in two games, took three players out with a spin in the middle of the park before sending Ustabasi through on goal.
However, a heavy touch let the winger down and Hudson managed to avert the danger by smothering the ball.
Chris Beech's Coasters will look to add to their four points when they host Maidenhead United on Saturday, then visit Wealdstone on holiday Monday.
Fylde: Winterbottom, Gamble (Hosannah 71), Long, Davis, Evans, Mitchell, Whelan, Haughton, Riley (Zanzala 71), Ustabsi (Ormerod 90), Jolley (Brennan 78); Not used: Richardson, Obi, O’Kane.