New signing Faal earns AFC Fylde all thee points at Gloucester

The Coasters went close early on when the ball was worked from Neal in Fylde’s box to Curtis Weston just outside the Gloucester penalty area, with his shot going inches wide of thepost.

Gloucester were finding their feet in the game and that led to Michael Gyasi skipping past Joe Rowley on the edge of the area to shoot low towards the bottom corner, but Neal moved across his line well to gather.

Chances for both sides were then at a premium until Fylde broke up field through Ligendza, who slid a ball through for Haughton to run onto and cut inside from eight yards out, only to be denied by the arm of Junior Tiensa – however, no penalty was given.

As the interval approached there was time for one more opportunity – this time, Alex Whitmore climbed above a whole host of red shirts to head at goal but his effort went wide.

Starting the second half like the first, Fylde almost claimed the game’s opener when some brilliant play from Obi into Haughton led to Jordan Cranston crossing towards Ligendza, who got up well to head at goal but inches wide.

However, from nowhere, Gloucester found the first goal of the afternoon when Matt McClure slid Dom McHale in behind the Coasters defence, and he slotted past the on-rushing Neal on 54 minutes. Fylde never gave up, though.

After Haughton slalomed his way through the Gloucester defence like a knife through butter, he managed to force Brandon Hall into parrying a left-footed effort away but into the feet of new signing Mo Faal, who turned in from close range to draw the game level.

Little did Faal know, he was about to score his second and earn the Coasters a big three points on the road after Jordan Cranston swung a right-footed cross to the back post, where Faal climbed to head into the bottom corner.

AFC Fylde: Neal, Whitmore, Bird, Obi, Conlan (45’ Cranston), Barrett (84’ Burke), Philliskirk, Weston, Rowley (64’ Faal), Haughton, Ligendza. Unused subs: Burke, Davis, Hatfield.