Match Report: AFC Fylde 3-3 Tranmere Rovers

AFC Fylde were held to a 3-3 draw against Tranmere Rovers at Mill Farm on Saturday afternoon.

Jon Ustabasi’s opener sent the Coasters ahead in the opening 15 minutes when he converted Charlie Jolley’s cross from close-range before Nick Haughton added a second close to half-time.

Joe Riley scored Fylde’s third shortly after the break, with Kristian Dennis’ brace and Cameron Norman levelling the score for Rovers in an entertaining second-half.

Head Coach Chris Beech handed goalkeeper Ben Winterbottom a start in goal after his arrival on loan from Brentford on Friday.

Fylde started strongly and had an opportunity in the first minute. Following a fast breakaway down the left involving Ustabasi and Jolley, an unmarked Danny Ormerod was found in the box with a cross, who shot just wide of Luke McGee’s bottom right-post.

Two minutes later, Haughton weaved beyond three burgundy shirts to strike a low effort at goal, which McGee held comfortably.

The Coasters were in front with just 15 minutes played. Jolley drove down the left, aiming a cross to the back post, with Ustabasi seeing his initial effort cleared off the line by Jack Bentley, before tapping in the rebound into the bottom right-corner.

After a pause in play for a drinks break, Fylde threatened midway through the half, when Haughton got beyond Connor Wood on the right, to strike right-footed across goal, which McGee saved.

Towards the end of the half, Obi did well to throw himself in the way of Dennis’ goal-bound attempt.

The Coasters’ second came on the stroke of half-time. Ormerod and Jolley linked up superbly for Danny to find Haughton on the right, who arrowed a powerful right-footed shot into McGee’s bottom left-corner.

Half-Time: AFC Fylde 2-0 Tranmere Rovers

Fylde’s third came just a minute into the second half when Riley curled a right-footed effort from the edge of the box and found Joe Murphy’s bottom right-corner.

Nigel Adkins’ Wirral outfit pulled one back on 58 minutes when Dennis beat Winterbottom from inside the box.

The visitors then scored a second with 69 minutes on the clock, when Norman beat substitute Liam McFayden for pace, driving into the box from the right to slot under Theo Richardson.

Adam Long’s excellent block thwarted Dennis’ firm effort from the right-side of the box after Norman’s cross – with the resulting corner skied over by Solomon.

But Tranmere’s equaliser came after 75 minutes, as Dennis profited from a deflection to steer in under past Richardson from six-yards out.

Pushing for a fourth, Luke Norris’ acrobatic volley was valiantly blocked by Harry Davis. Richardson then pushed his shot at goal after Regan Hendry’s well-worked free-kick.

But the goal-action finished there as the Coasters secured another 90 minutes against EFL opposition.

AFC Fylde: Winterbottom (Richardson 62) Evans (McFayden 45), Obi (Davis 62), Long, Hosannah (Hailwood 70), Riley, Whelan (Mitchell 62), Haughton (O’Kane 62), Ustabasi (Trialist 45), Ormerod (Morris 56), Jolley (Trialist 62)

Subs not used: McCullion, Holder

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