Coasters crowned Lancs champions

AFC Fylde manager Dave Challinor is celebrating winning his second trophy with the Coasters after they beat Bacup Borough 2-0 at Bolton's Reebok Arena to lift the Lancashire FA Trophy on Monday night, writes Chris Park.

Challinor's Coasters won the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League's First Division North championship last April and a goal in either half sealed another memorable win for AFC Fylde as they collected the first silverware on offer to an Evo-Stik NPL club this season.

AFC Fylde's manager hailed his side's performance in front on nearly 800 fans at Bolton but admitted they had to guard against complacency after being labelled as favourites against the North West Counties outfit.

Challinor said: "We spoke about complacency before the game as we came into the match as favourites. We've been on the flip side of that this year in the FA Cup when we played Accrington and you know that if you start the game well they might be a little bit complacent. I think the experience from that made sure that our players knew that wasn't to be the case.

"We got the penalty at a good time and the game obviously opened up but I think if we'd have scored any earlier in the second half it might have opened up a lot sooner. It's a game that we won but I don’t think we played at our best to be honest but it was great to get the result and win the trophy.

Challinor added: "The night was about focusing on winning the Lancashire Trophy. It's a really good game to play in on a great surface and it was a great honour for the players to come and play at a stadium like this."

Challinor's Evo-Stik NPL Premier Division outfit dominated the game from start to finish to win with goals from James McCarthy on 37 minutes and a second half penalty from Joseph Booth on 79 minutes.

In fact, the Coasters reduced their spirited lower league opponents to a handful of efforts to win their second trophy under Challinor. Knowing full well they needed to start brightly, the Coasters should have scored within two minutes when Harry Winter was played in on goal but Bacup keeper Ryan Jones denied the midfielder an early opener.

Borough's striker and captain, Daniel Cocks, was a thorn in Fylde's side for most of the match and should have done better with his cross to David Gray in the 11th minute but Fylde stopper Ben Hinchliffe comfortably stopped the attack deep inside his own area.

Fylde were showing a clear difference in class in the first half as they dominated proceedings but still couldn't find a way through a solid defence – the best chance coming on 14 minutes when a sublime cross from Adam Carden was headed over by James Dean from ten yards.

It was the same outcome eight minutes later when a trademark run from Michael Barnes resulted in his cross being headed the wrong side of the post by McCarthy. In the 28th minute, Barnes came closer than anyone to breaking the deadlock when his shot was deflected around the post.

The breakthrough finally arrived on 37 minutes when a sloppy free kick was coolly intercepted by Carden on the edge of his own penalty area and within seconds the ball was in the back of the Bacup net. Carden burst forward, played the ball to Barnes who knocked it back to Booth who sent a great through-ball to McCarthy. He was waiting in the box and he had all the time in the world to curl his shot around the oncoming Jones.

Two minutes later, Dean should have doubled the advantage but saw his header sneak agonisingly wide of the post and Fylde went in 1-0 up at the break.

Full credit must go to Bacup though as they didn't lie down and in the second half created a couple of brilliant chances to level the tie. Six minutes into the half, Hinchliffe came to the rescue as he produced a world-class save to deny Cocks a goal from ten yards after Matthew Bryan had rounded Matty Hughes with ease and fed a great ball towards Cocks which was asking to be buried.

Soon after, Booth and Adam Sumner failed to fashion anything from a free-kick in a great position for Fylde, opting to square to Barnes from the right corner of the box but he shot weakly and his effort was easily cleared.

Bacup then enjoyed a brief spell of possession around the Fylde area and just after the hour Lee Oldham came within inches of an equaliser after sending his shot just wide of the mark.

But on 66 minutes, Bacup's Jones made two outstanding saves. First he denied Dean a chance to round him and slot into an empty net after the Fylde front-man pounced on a poor back pass. Then, he somehow managed to deny Booth from four yards out, saving his point-blank header with his legs.

The game was finally decided in the 79th minute when Dean was brought down in the box by Gareth Wager and the referee awarded Fylde a penalty. Up stepped Booth to smash home Fylde's second and secure a deserved win.

AFC Fylde: Hinchliffe, Carden (B. Barnes 70), Sumner, Hughes, Taylor, Dunn, Booth (C) Winter (Farrell 85), Dean, M. Barnes, McCarthy (Dorney 75); Subs not used: Holland, Fleming.

Picture courtesy of Greig Bertram/AGBphoto.