FA Trophy exit "not the worst thing" for AFC Fylde admits boss Adam Murray

Had the Coasters not lost on penalties and earned a fourth-round visit to Dorking Wanderers, they would have been forced to postpone yet another league game (at Southport on January 14).

Murray's sixth-placed side already have at least four games in hand on half their rivals in National League North going into the Boxing Day derby at home to Chorley.

Three postponements had kept Fylde out of action for 17 days before their Trophy tie and head coach Murray told The Gazette: “We needed the game and we needed the minutes, and I really enjoyed it because I took a lot out of the first half in terms of different challenges I'd seen and how players react to different situations.

“We weren't at our best but credit to Kidderminster. They stopped us doing what we normally do but we were more like our normal selves in the second half and created enough chances to win two or three games.

“In any normal schedule and with more preparation time, you'd always want to go as far as you can in the cu. But with our backlog, and a rock-solid January and February, it's not the worst thing.”

That schedule has become even tighter after this month's postponed matches away to Kettering Town and at home to Farsley Celtic were rearranged for February 14 and 28 respectively. That leaves Fylde with three Tuesday night fixtures that month to follow the three already confirmed for January.