Fylde dish out six of the best to Worksop

Worksop Town were left red faced at Sandy Lane today, as AFC Fyle dished out six of the best.

Tigers lost 6-1 to the promotion hopefuls, after conceding five goals in an horrific 21 minute spell in the first half.

The Fylde wingers had a field day, with crosses from the right accounting for the first three goals.

It was only late in the second half that Mark Shaw’s men played anything resembling fluent football, after lively substitute Conor Higginson had pulled a goal back.

The afternoon almost got off to a disastrous start for Laurence Gaughan, as he miscontrolled his first touch, 10 seconds into the game, and Michael Barnes tried to bust clear, drawing a foul from the defender.

But Casper Hughes spared Gaughan’s blushes by sending the resulting free-kick miles over the bar.

A moment of brilliance very nearly brought the opener for Tigers in the eighth minute, Tom Denton flicking the ball on to Shane Clarke who lashed a half volley onto the bar from 25 yards.

That was about it from Tigers in the first half, as Fylde took over.

Harry Winter tried a volley of his own, as the ball came in from the right, but he sent it out of the ground by some distance.

Kern Miller played an ill-advised crossfield ball, allowing Barnes to steal in once more, but Worksop got back to crowd him out.

Worksop then found themselves two goals down, as two crosses from the right saw them completely undone.

First the ball was swung in for an unmarked Matt Blinkhorn to head home from a good 14 yards, keeper Liam Flynn caught off his line.

And on 24 minutes a ball delivered from the same place was nodded into the net by Harry Winter.

Blinkhorn set his sights from 30 yards to try and make it three, but Flynn got down well to make a fine stop, although the striker should never have been afforded such space and time in the first place.

But there was nothing Flynn could do on the half hour mark, as Barnes got in down the right and for the third time a cross was tucked in, Blinkhorn grabbing his second from eight yards.

And two minutes later Danny Lloyd heaped further embarrassment on the hosts, finding the bottom corner from 25 yards, Fylde four to the good with little more than a third of the game gone.

Denton’s frustration led to a booking when he dived into a challenge on Casper Hughes, albeit winning the ball, the referee not liking the tackle.

Two minutes remained in the half when Lloyd’s speculative 25 yard shot from the right beat Flynn and handed AFC Fylde an unassailable 5-0 lead.

Had it not been for the feet of Flynn, Lloyd would have had a first half hat-trick, the winger’s low shot saved by the sprawling stopper.

Boss Mark Shaw brought on Higginson and Josh Davies for Jack Barnett and Ellis Wall at half-time.

Although Higginson looked positive with his first few touches, Fylde were soon on the attack again, charging forward down the left into acres of space and almost forcing an own goal from Miller.

A minute later Barnes pulled Roe out of position and Blinkhorn curled a shot onto the bar in search of his hat-trick.

On 57 minutes it was 6-0, Barnes getting in behind the defence down the right, tearing into the box and hammering the ball past Flynn.

A rare foray into the visitors’ half saw Mettam cross for Denton at the back post, and his header landed on the roof of the net.

Worksop’s skipper was then replaced by Shaq McKenzie on the 64th minute.

After 77 disappointing minutes, the home supporters finally had something to cheer, as Higginson finished off a nice move with a fine finish from just inside the box.

Worksop then put together their best spell of possession, some good football resulting in a Higginson shot that soared over the bar.

Denton had a chance to pull another one back as Higginson found him, but Ben Hinchliffe was equal to his shot.

A small band of supporters stayed behind to clap the Worksop players off the pitch in a remarkable, if undeserved, show of loyalty. Loyalty tha Shaw and his Tigers will be desperate to repay on Wednesday at Whitby Town.

Worksop: Flynn 4, Pursehouse 4, Roe 5, Barnett 4 (Davies 45 5) , Gaughan 4, Miller 4, Muldoon 5, Clarke 4, Denton 5, Mettam 4 (McKenzie 67), Wall 4 (HIGGINSON 45 6). Not used: Salt, Husbands.

AFC Fylde: Hinchliffe, Hankin, Sumner, M. Hughes, Denson, C. Hughes, Dorney (Booth 64), Winter, Blinkhorn, Barnes (Rainford 58), Lloyd (Charnley 71). Not used: Taylor, Hare.

Referee: A. Clayton. Assistants: N. Freelove, T. Ratcliffe.

Goalscorers: Higginson 77; Blinkhorn 22, 30, Winter 24, Lloyd 32, 43, Barnes 58

Yellows: Denton 34, Gaughan 61

Attendance: 251.

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