A late, late Sam Osborne goal sealed all three points for the Coasters in a tightly contested National League North fixture against Hereford FC.

Douglas Taylor managed to put the Coasters ahead when he latched onto Stephen Dobbie’s through ball to fire past Hall before Tom Owen-Evans lobbed Chris Neal, with a little bit of help from the wind.

As the points looked likely to be shared, up popped Osborne at the back post to slide in and convert a Jorome Slew cross in the last seconds of the game.

Hoping to follow on from last weekend’s win, James Rowe made just one change to the team, with Harry Davis coming in to replace Emeka Obi, who dropped to the bench.

Just like last weekend’s game against Farsley Celtic, the Coasters made a great start to the game and took the lead after just ten minutes when Stephen Dobbie fed Doug Taylor with a superb through ball, and he slotted past Brandon Hall in the Hereford goal.

Despite the early goal, the only chance that was then to present itself was one for the visitors and Seb Revan, who lined a volley up from the edge of the area but dragged the effort well wide.

With the way the game was going, it was looking like both sides were in a clinical mood after the visitors converted their first real chance of the game after a ball over the top of the Fylde defence was latched on to by Tom Owen-Evans, whose looped strike over Neal looked to have bounced over the bar but eventually hit the back of the net.

The Coasters were hoping to keep their good form up of late, and they almost had an instant reply when Neal’s flicked on kick fell to Haughton, but as he attempted to round Hall, the angle was narrowed, and the side-netting was struck.

Half-Time: AFC Fylde 1-1 Hereford FC

Fired up and ready for the second 45, the Coasters almost took the lead straight after the interval when Taylor turned his man and set Ben Tollitt up for a fizzing effort across goal, looking for the bottom corner but going inches wide of the post.

Hereford were quiet so far in the half, so Rowe’s side looked to take advantage of that through Haughton when he let fly on a shot that looked destined for the top corner, but Hall, on the stretch, got a fingertip to it to deny the midfielder.

Ryan McLean looked a livewire since entering the field for the visitors and almost slipped Owen-Evans in on goal, though a last-ditch challenge from Osborne prevented him in front of Neal’s net.

The Bulls did, however, have the ball in the back of the net when a corner from the left came into the area and found substitute Ryan McLean, who tucked the ball into the bottom corner of the net, though the flag was up for offside.

With the seconds ticking down and a point looking likely, little did James Rowe and the Coasters know that a last-gasp winner from Sam Osborne was to decide the contest and take all three points.

Unbelievable work from Tom Walker to keep the ball alive and in play led to Jorome Slew finding Osborne at the back post, who slid in and slammed the ball past Hall to seal the victory.

Full-Time: AFC Fylde 2-1 Hereford FC

AFC Fylde: Neal, Conlan (79’ Slew), Stott, Davis, Morrison, Tollitt (62’ Walker), Philliskirk, Hatfield, Haughton, Dobbie (62’ Osborne), Taylor.

Unused Subs: Obi, Joyce. 

Hereford FC: Hall, Hodgkiss, Haines (87’ Klukowski), Pearce, Patten, Owen-Evans, Lloyd (76’ Vincent), Pollock, Revan, Pinchard, Wright (76’ McLean).

Unused subs: Egan, Tourayi.