Striker Joe Piggott could return against Blyth Spartans as AFC Fylde injury problems ease

The striker, who scored both goals in Fylde’s National League North victory at AFC Telford United a fortnight ago, sat out last weekend’s FA Trophy win over Gateshead with a hip problem.

However, manager Jim Bentley told The Gazette: “We’ve acted on the advice of the medical experts. Joe has trained this week and should be available for weekend.”

And the Coasters boss revealed more good news on the injury front. Bentley added: “Alex Whitmore has made good progress and will step up his recovery.

“With a muscle injury, you don’t want to take risks by bringing players back too soon but he could be good to return around the time of the Solihull Moors game (in the third round of the Trophy two weeks tomorrow).

“Nathan Shaw is doing okay. He is stepping up his training and could also be back in the next couple of weeks, and Dave Perkins will start training again around next week.”

The home tie against National League club Solihull is Fylde’s reward for edging out Gateshead 1-0. Bentley was critical of that performance in his post-match interview but has since revised his verdict.

“It was a strange one and both teams made changes, but watching it back the game wasn’t as bad as I first thought,” he said.

“We are capable of more but we controlled most of the game and kept a clean sheet.

“It was important that we won and kept our unbeaten home record going, but we probably played better against Brackley Town in the previous home game and only drew.”

League leaders Fylde take a two-point advantage over Brackley into the weekend but have played a game more.

It will be a shock if that 17-game unbeaten home record is ended by third-bottom Blyth, who won their last league outing against Guiseley but lost the previous eight.

Bentley warned: “Blyth won last time and have a new manager (Terry Mitchell), which always gives players a spring in their step.

“They will be fighting to stay away from the bottom and we have to guard against that. But we can beat anyone in this division and we are right mentally to give it our all.”

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