Chasetown FC’s eight match unbeaten run came to an end on a wet and windy afternoon in the North West of England.
Some 33 league places separated the two sides in the Doodson Sport Cup quarter-final at kick off and, despite the visitors’ excellent recent form, AFC Fylde were in slick form from the start of the game and quickly put the Scholars under pressure.
Even with the strong wind against them in the first half, the Coasters took the lead in the 13th minute. Mike Barnes sprinted down the right and crossed low into the penalty area where Danny Lloyd-McGoldrick – a former Chasetown player – side-footed home from close range.
Seven minutes later it was 2-0 when another former Scholar Caspar Hughes slid the ball through to Lloyd-McGoldrick who was sent tumbling to the ground by Chris Slater. Despite getting his hands to the ball, the spot kick from Joe Booth was too powerful for Ryan Price who was beaten to his left.
Fylde keeper Ashley Frith kept his side’s two-goal advantage with a tremendous save to keep out a Jono Gould effort which seemed to be flying into the top corner of the net, but it wasn’t long before the hosts extended their lead with ten minutes remaining in the first half.
Even with the wind against him, Dave Hankin sent a pass over the Chasetown back line into the path of Richie Allen who brought the ball under control, rounded Price and tapped into an empty net.
Craig Harris introduced Simon Brown as a half-time substitute and his side’s approach play was much better in the second half. Regrettably, before Chasetown had the chance to try and get back in the game, the impressive Allen battled his way through and notched his second goal of the game with a low shot from 18 yards.
The Scholars did create chances though – Nick Wellecomme had en effort blocked and Richard Teesdale glanced a header a whisker wide of the post, before their persistence finally paid off when Joe Halsall was tripped inside the box and Brown smashed his fourth goal of the league cup campaign straight down the middle of Frith’s goal.
Chasetown’s second half effort could not be faulted and AFC Fylde got deeper and deeper into their penalty area. Had the visitors managed to pull a goal back, it may have tested the home side’s character a bit more, but instead substitute Jazz Luckie’s close range strike which was disallowed for offside was as close as the visitors came to any further consolation.
AFC Fylde: Frith, Hankin, Denson, M Hughes, Russell, C Hughes, Lloyd-McGoldrick (Gregory, 70 mins), Booth (Cooke, 70 mins), Winter, M Barnes, Allen. Subs not used: Blinkhorn, B Barnes, Sumner.
Chasetown: Price, Slater, Beckett, Halsall, Robinson, Teesdale, Bottomer (Brown, HT), Bragoli (Farmer, 73 mins), Wellecomme, Bennett, Gould (Luckie, 78 mins). Sub not used: Watson.
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