Conrad Prendergast’s young Coasters side booked their place in the next round of the FA Youth Cup, with a comprehensive win over Clitheroe FC.
Clitheroe FC Youth 1-7 AFC Fylde Youth
AFC Fylde ran out comfortable winners in their FA Youth Cup tie against Clitheroe FC on Tuesday night. A cagey start from both teams saw few chances in the opening exchanges, but Fylde’s command of the possession gave an idea of how the game would progress.
The defining moment happened 20 minutes into the game, with striker Max McCarthy capitalising on an errant goal kick from the keeper and being brought down by the last defender to send Clitheroe down to 10 men.
From this point on the game was in Fylde’s control. Wave after wave of Fylde attacks saw white shirts streaming forward, continually bearing down on the Clitheroe goal. Curtis Poole opened the scoring with a tidy finish from the right side of the box in the 24th minute, then added a second six minutes later from the edge of the box.
The Fylde pressure continued to the half time whistle, with Clitheroe somewhat lucky to get into the break only down by two. The same trend continued into the second half, with Clitheroe barely able to get the ball out of their own box before a shocking tackle in the 53rd minute saw the second straight red of the game. The ensuing free kick was dispatched by Owen Robinson with the help of a deflection off the wall.
The game took a nasty turn at this point, as it descended into a flurry of Clitheroe fouls and Fylde free kicks, culminating in a 59th minute penalty that was calmly dispatched by Owen Robinson for his second of the game.
The game then devolved into something more akin to a training session as the remaining fight that Clitheroe had, slowly dissipated. Robinson completed his hat-trick by capping off a slick team move in the 65th minute. Substitute Ball got in on the action next, turning home a deflected shot from Lynch for Fylde’s sixth of the evening.
Clitheroe got something to show for their evening with an 85th minute goal from range that looped over Fylde goalkeeper Aaron Lancaster. However, fittingly it was Fylde who had the last word in this affair with a second substitute goal, this time for Cam Kilbride who turned home from inside the 6 yard box to wrap up the game.
Thank you to Alex Marr, of the AFC Fylde Academy for the match report… 📝
