AFC Fylde 2
Rowe 34′, 69′
Torquay United 0
United once again struggled on the road as they went down 2-0 to the Coasters at Mill Farm. The defeat takes United back to the bottom of the National League table.
Head coach Gary Owers made one chance to the side that succumbed 1-0 to Maidstone United seven days ago. Rhys Murphy took a place on the bench and Jennison Myrie-Williams stepped up to take a place in the starting eleven. George Dowling missed out after picking up an injury against the Stones
Fylde started the match on top. United had to move up a gear to match their opponents, and after surviving some pressure on their penalty box, they were able to create some decent chances.
In the 12th minute Jazzi Barnum-Bobb served a chance up for Jamie Reid but his strike lacked enough power to trouble Fylde goalkeeper, Jay Lynch.
United had an early warning sign of the effectiveness of Fylde striker Danny Rowe when he met a corner and headed wide of goal.
Jennison Myrie-Williams struck an effort wide of goal in the 19th minute, and was among the action again in the 23rd minute after Jamie Reid and Jazzi Barnum-Bobb combined to set him up. Unfortunately, his shot went wide of the target.
United conceded the opening goal in the 34th minute. They failed to clear the ball, and in-form striker Danny Rowe’s movement and guile created enough space for him to find the bottom corner from around 20-yards out.
United did come back at Fylde after conceding. When the pressure did tell, Myrie-Williams was unable to find a decisive shot or pass when well-placed in the penalty area.
At the half-time break Gary Owers introduced Rhys Murphy, making his first appearance since sustaining an ankle injury. Michee Efete was the man to make way and United switched to a back four.
United missed out on a great opportunity to get back into the game when in the 58th minute Luke Young’s free-kick clipped the post.
Rowe scored his second of the game after United failed to keep the ball out of their box. He headed home from around 10 yards to put Fylde into a dominant lead.
United’s best opportunity to start a comeback was in the 72nd minute. Jamie Reid delivered a dangerous low ball into the box looking for the runs of Josh McQuoid and substitute Ruairi Keating. Neither could get a decisive touch.
United (3-4-1-2): 30 Dorel (GK), 2 Efete [39 Rhys Murphy HT], 3 Davis, 5 McGinty, 6 Gowling (c), 8 Young, 12 Evans [4 Damon Lathrope 77′], 13 McQuoid, 16 Barnum-Bobb, 19 Reid, 27 Myrie-Williams Substitutes (not used): 1 Ryan Clarke (GK), 23 Ryan Higgins
Booked:
AFC Fylde: 13 Jay Lynch, 2 Lewis Monrose (c), 3 Zaine Francis-Angol, 5 Jordan Tunnicliffe [15 Simon Grand 83′], 6 Andy Bond, 9 Danny Rowe, 10 Andy Mangan, 18 Jonny Smith [20 Serhat Tasdemir 76′], 22 Luke Burke, 24 George Edmundson, 27 Henry Jones [12 Jason Taylor 60′} Substitutes (not used): 16 Jordan Richards, 17 Matt Blinkhorn
Booked:
Referee: Ryan Johnson
Attendance: 1,552