20-12-22. FA Trophy 3rd Rd. Match report Vs AFC Fylde

Even if it was on penalties, at last, the Harriers win at Fylde

Report: Phil Lench

It may have taken penalties to get the monkey off our back but at last the Harriers have a long overdue win against AFC Fylde.

In the FA Trophy this evening an early goal from Jack Bearne had given us the lead well into the second half until, you guessed it, Nick Haughton equalised. Despite a last few minutes of panic attacks the game went to penalties and we just knew that it was all going to end in tears. Somehow it didn’t though and to help it along Haughton missed his take, along with Pierce Bird, to give us the game without the fifth penalty being taken.

Shane Byrne, Ashley Hemmings, Amari Morgan-Smith and Ben Margetson all put their kicks away while only Danny Philliskirk and Siya Ligendza could convert theirs for the host. The win puts us into the next round with a long trip down to Dorking Wanderers (somewhere near Crawley).

In front of a typically sparse crowd it was the Harriers that kicked off this re-arranged game following last Saturdays freeze out. We had a few returning from injury with Joe Foulkes, Krystian Pearce and Shane Byrne back while Tom Palmer and Tom Owen-Evans both started. On the bench was the young academy striker Kobe Hall.

It was Fylde that started the better with Luke Burke seeing two chances go begging while Haughton had his shot saved by Palmer. Ligendza got himself booked for simulation after Margetson cleared the ball cleanly as Ligendza dived spectacularly over his outstretched foot.

Jack Bearne was the first for us to try his luck and he came close with a shot that went just wide but it was a different outcome a few minutes later when he turned on a ball into the area and whipped it beyond Chris Neal in the Fylde goal. He almost set up AMS soon after but Amari just failed to connect with the ball in to him.

Fylde then began to wake up and just after Zak Browns shot had gone across the face of the goal, then another cleared over the bar, Will Hatfield came close to equalising when his well struck volley was cleared off the line by Brown.

Joe Leesley then tried his luck with a lob over the keeper but it also went over the bar. The half came to an end with Palmer saving from Hatfield to send us into the break with the lead. 

HT: 0 – 1

It was obvious that Fylde had had a good talking to from the former Harrier, Adam Murray, at the break as they came out firing on all cylinders and looking for a way back into the game as Haughton was soon in there trying to score. His free kick went well over though. The on fire Jack Bearne had another chance to double his tally with a shot that went just wide but then Haughton came close again.

He had a shot that hit the underside of the bar, and away to safety, much to our relief but that relief was short lived when he finally got his traditional goal against us. They had just had a goal ruled out for offside when Luke Charman played the ball in for Haughton who made no mistake this time in curling the ball beyond Palmer.

It was now backs to the wall for the Harriers as Fylde upped their game in search of the winner. We counteracted by taking off Owen-Evans and bringing on Ashley Hemmings in an effort to increase our firepower.

Palmer saved well again with an outstretched leg from another Haughton effort while Hemmings forced their keeper into action too with a smart shot that Neal pushed away. We kept at it, as did Fylde, but eventually the ninety minute whistle blew and it was down to the lottery of penalties.

Byrne was the first to go and he converted his. Haughton was up next and for once he failed as his spot kick failed to even trouble Tom Palmer as it sailed over the bar and landed on Blackpools Golden Mile.

Fylde scored their next two kicks while we converted all of ours and at 2-3 in our favour up stepped Pierce Bird to do his duty. Luckily for us Tom did his duty too and went down well to save the kick and so put us into the fourth round of the cup and a trip down to warmer climes in Surrey on January 14th next year.    

FT: 1 – 1

Goal for AFC Fylde: Haughton 67

Goal for Harriers: Bearne 19

Talk about the game here

Latest table and stats here

AFC Fylde	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Neal
Burke			77
Cranston			61
Bird
Obi
Whitmore
Patten			61
Philliskirk
Ligendza
Haughton
Hatfield
Subs:
Davis
Morrison
O’Kane
Barrett			61
Rowley			77
Charman			61
Harriers	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Palmer
Foulkes
Richards
Margetson
Pearce
Byrne
Owen-Evans			71
Brown
Morgan-Smith
Bearne			82
Leesley
Subs:
Emery
Hemmings			71
Leak
Martin
Lissimore			82
Rogers
Hall
Referee:
Mr David McNamara
Preston