AFC Fylde were held to a 1-1 draw away at Kidderminster Harriers on Tuesday night in the Vanarama National League.
Nick Haughton put the Coasters ahead on 33 minutes before Amari Morgan-Smith’s late equaliser at Aggborough.
Head Coach Chris Beech made four changes from Saturday’s defeat away to league leaders Chesterfield, with Bryce Hossanah, Josh Kay, Tom Walker and Danny Ormerod all coming into the starting line-up.
Inside the opening four minutes, Coasters goalkeeper Theo Richardson was forced into an excellent save when he tipped Reiss McNally’s header over the crossbar following a cross.
Up the other end, Haughton won possession before shooting from distance, which Christian Dibble managed to push away and around the post.
Fylde had two opportunities at goal in quick succession. Firstly, Dibble denied Sam Graham from close-range after Haughton’s free-kick into the box, prior to Ormerod almost turning Kay’s cross goalwards, only for Caleb Richards to clear.
Beech’s men were ahead just past the half-hour mark. A sweeping attacking move, started by Ormerod, who moved the ball onto Kay in the box, with Haughton profiting from the lay-off to superbly place his strike beyond Dibble.
And it almost got better for Fylde minutes before half-time, when Jon Ustabasi got in behind the Harriers defence following Haughton’s ball but struck off target.
Minutes after the restart, Richardson was called into action again, thwarting Jack Lambert, who had raced through on goal and hit a powerful effort towards the bottom corner, which Theo brilliantly dropped down to his right to push the ball out.
Eleven minutes into the half, Ustabasi’s cross into the box just evaded Ormerod, who couldn’t connect with the ball despite beating his marker.
On 62 minutes, Beech made his first change as Danny Whitehead replaced Dan Adshead.
Fylde survived a scare midway through the half, when forward Jay Emmanual-Thomas thumped the post with an attempt from long-range.
Fylde’s next substitution saw Adam Long come on for Ustabasi with 20 minutes to play.
The Coasters threatened through Whitehead, but after good build-up play, he dragged a shot wide of the post.
Zak Brown then arrowed a half-volley from Ashley Hemmings’ cross which dipped just over Richardson’s crossbar.
Beech’s third and final substitution came in the closing eight minutes, as Connor Barrett replaced Walker.
Phil Brown’s Harriers levelled on 83 minutes. Hemmings’ cross was steered at goal by Morgan-Smith, who got in-between Barrett and Graham in the box, his shot was initially kept out by Richardson, but the striker dispatched the follow-up.
Neither side could find an elusive winner late on as Fylde earned an away point.
AFC Fylde: Richardson, Hossanah, Davis ©, Graham, Mitchell, Adshead (Whitehead 62), Walker (Barrett 82), Kay, Ustabasi (Long 70), Haughton, Ormerod
Subs not used: Hunter, Westley
