“They’ve set a stall out now for work rate, for attitude, for commitment”: AFC Fylde head coach takes positives from defeat
AFC Fylde return to Mill Farm on Easter Monday with head coach Craig Mahon proud of his players despite defeat on Good Friday.
The Coasters lost 2-0 at Chorley, having played for 70 minutes with nine men after first-half red cards for Max Taylor and Tom Whelan.
However, their lead at the top of National League North was only cut to three points as second-placed South Shields drew with Spennymoor Town.
Fylde, who have played one game more than their rivals, now host a Radcliffe team who have only taken two points from their last eight matches.
Mahon told Fylde’s media team: “Decisions are made out of our hands. Whether they got them right or wrong, we can’t do anything about it.
“The only thing I can look at is the lads who are left on the pitch and the lads who came on.
“As I said to them in that dressing room, I couldn’t be prouder that they put in a display like that when they could have downed tools, when they could have got more frustrated.
“Those lads stepped up and showed me a different side to them. We have a way of playing and going down to nine men, it’s so difficult to play against 11 people.
“After the two sendings-off, each man gave us everything they had.
“They’ve set a stall out now for work rate, for attitude, for commitment.
“We know they have the quality on the ball, especially when we have 11 men.
“This group of lads have shown me they’ve got enough now to finish the job off and I fully expect them to.”