The Coasters were forced into an FA Cup replay against Farsley Celtic on Saturday afternoon after Tom Allan’s header cancelled out Kyle Morrison’s first-half strike.

Morrison got the scoring underway when from a Coasters corner, Pierce Bird managed to keep the ball in and back across goal for Morrison to turn home with a knee from close range.

However, Farsley managed to force the tie into a replay when Tom Allan rose above everyone at a Farsley corner to head past Neal and equalise for the visitors.

James Rowe made six changes to the side that drew 0-0 away at Kidderminster Harriers, with Emeka Obi, Will Hatfield, Joe Rowley, Keenan Patten, Luke Conlan and Danny Whitehead replacing Jordan Cranston, Curtis Weston, Alex Whitmore, Connor Barrett, Danny Philliskirk and Nick Haughton.

Farsley came into the tie looking to put pressure on from the first whistle, which brought a couple of opportunities for the away side.

When a loose ball fell to the feet of Jimmy Spencer, the Farsley number nine looked to lift over Chris Neal for the opener, which the Fylde shot-stopper managed to turn behind for a corner.

From the set-piece, Andy Butler was left free at the back post to head at goal but over the bar, before Spencer intercepted a Pierce Bird pass into the middle third to strike low at goal and into the grateful hands of Chris Neal.

Although the better of the chances fell the way of the visiting side in the early moments of the tie, the Coasters took the lead when a corner to the back post was headed back to Kyle Morrison from Bird and turned home to give James Rowe’s side the lead.

With a second of the afternoon on the Coasters’ mind, the perfect opportunity to double the scoreline came after a nice one-two between Keenan Patten and Tom Walker, which allowed the latter to zip a ball across the face of goal for Joe Rowley, but he could only find the South Stand with a delicate flick at goal.

Another opportunity fell Rowley’s way, and this time, the midfielder looked certain to nod in from Morrison’s teasing cross, but after a good save by Owen Mason onto the post and a sliding challenge by Andy Butler, Rowley was denied.

Half-Time: AFC Fylde 1-0 Farsley Celtic

In terms of scoring chances, there were none to write home about until 10 minutes into the second half when after Bobby Johnson was denied by a brilliant block, the Coasters raced forward through Haughton and Walker, with the latter aiming for Patten at the back post with a cross that was blocked on its way through.

However, the visitors, after working hard to create an opening, managed to find an equaliser before the 60-minute mark when from a corner, Tom Allan rose above everyone to head powerfully past Neal.

A beautiful switch of play by Walker to Connor Barrett was to create the next well-worked move, as the right wing-back managed to chest the ball into his running path to find Patten on the penalty spot, who placed wide of the mark.

The home side couldn’t quite find the winner in the closing stages, despite Nick Haughton skipping past his marker to find Walker for a first-time effort, which was initially saved before Connor Barrett on the rebound was somehow kept out.  

Full-Time: AFC Fylde 1-1 Farsley Celtic

AFC Fylde: Neal, Morrison, Obi, Bird (46’ Barrett), Conlan, Walker, Hatfield, Whitehead, Patten (73’ Cranston), Rowley, Rowe (29’ Haughton)

Unused Subs: Whitmore, Weston, Philliskirk, Ligendza.

Farsley Celtic: Mason, Turner, Johnson, Butler, Clayton, Syers (76’ Gratton), Atkinson, Spencer, Mulhern (83’ Malumo), Parkin, Allan.

Unused Subs: Ingham & Gratton