Southport 0 AFC Fylde 0: Ten-man Coasters earn point

The main talking point in the game was Will Hatfield’s red card for an off-the-ball incident before half-time, though Fylde had chances through Nick Haughton and Emeka Obi.

James Rowe made five changes to his side, with keeper Bobby Jones, David Perkins, Luke Burke, Obi and Tom Walker coming in to replace Chris Neal, Harry Davis, Danny Philliskirk, Stephen Dobbie and Ben Tollitt.

After a quiet opening 20 minutes, Connor Woods tested Bobby Jones with a free-kick from 25 yards, then Haughton turned his man in the area and shaved the bar.

Then the referee was alerted to an offence by his assistant. After five minutes of deliberation, a red card was brandished in the direction of Hatfield.

Even so, Fylde went close early in the second half, when Haughton attempted to lift the ball over keeper Cameron Mason from the halfway line but saw the effort go wide.

A corner from Luke Joyce was met by Obi, who could only find the hands of keeper Cameron Mason.

Southport had a chance to snatch a winner from a free-kick by Josh Hmami but Coasters players flung themselves to block the shot.

Fylde: Jones, Burke (Davis 79), Morrison, Stott, Obi, Conlan, Hatfield, Perkins, Walker (Osborne 45), Haughton (Joyce 70), Taylor; Subs not used: Gregson, Slew.

Southport: Mason, Tharme, Doyle (Watson 68), Anson, Oliver, Carberry, Bainbridge, Vassallo (Hmami 55), Walton, Woods, Archer; Subs not used: McMillan, Doyle, Benjamin.