A goal in either half from Danny Rowe and Jordan Tunnicliffe sealed an impressive victory for AFC Fylde over League Two side Morecambe.

The Coasters dominated for large parts of the match at Mill Farm and could have put the result beyond doubt before Rhys Turner nodded home a consolation goal for the visitors.

Manager Dave Challinor named a strong starting line-up for the visit of the Football League club that included former Premier League ace Nicky Hunt.

Despite a bright start for the visitors, it was the home side that took the lead inside 10 minutes. Hunt whipped in a telling cross from the right that Andy Bond brought down with a deft touch allowing Rowe to fool the goalkeeper with a clever shot into the bottom corner.

Morecambe should have been level on the quarter-hour mark when a deep cross from the left found Vadaine Oliver unmarked at the back post, however the frontman guided his powerful header wide of the upright.

The Coasters hit back with a glorious chance of their own second later when Henry Jones floated an inviting ball into the box and Bond was incredibly unlucky to see his glancing header come back off the post.

Fylde were enjoying themselves in the sunshine at Mill Farm and Muldoon was close to doubling the advantage with a strike across goal from Bond’s cutback.

Veteran wideman Kevin Ellison was looking a handful for the Shrimps and was narrowly over with a lashed left-footed effort from 15 yards.

Another fantastic piece of skill from Rowe gave goalkeeper Dan Nizic a scare when he cut inside his full-back before launching a vicious cross into the area that the Fylde faithful will have secretly know was a shot from the prolific striker.

Midfielder Sam Finley went for the spectacular as the hosts continued to dominate when he flashed an audacious volley a foot wide of Nizic’s post from 25 yards.

Oliver and Ellison both had chances for Morecambe to poke the ball home from close range within a moment of each other however goalkeeper Jay Lynch did enough to put the pair off and clear the danger.

The second half was a closer run affair with both teams struggling to carve out any clear cut opportunities early on – Rowe’s driven effort that was deflected away from danger the closest either side came to making an impression.

However, that all changed moments before the hour when the Coasters deservedly doubled their lead. Half-time substitute James Hardy picked out Tunnicliffe on the six yard line with a delightful corner and the defender nodded the ball beyond the clutches of Nizic into the far corner.

Rowe really should have done the same a minute later when Muldoon whipped in a cross from the right, however the forward glanced his near-post header across goal and wide.

The visitors halved the deficit in the 67 minute against the run of play – substitute Rhys Turner beating Jay Lynch to Luke Conlan’s cross to the head to the ball into the gaping goal.

Conlan himself tested Lynch with Morecambe’s next meaningful chance however on this occasion the Fylde stopper came out on top to keep out the midfielder’s low drive.

Rowe looked to double his personal tally for the evening when his favourite ‘chop’ tricked yet another defender on the edge of the area but the goalkeeper was equal to his eventual placed attempt from the edge of the area.

After a relatively quiet spell, the hosts came back to life and went close to a third when Finley’s deep cross was lifted narrowly over the bar by Bond at the back post.

The midfielder almost had his goal in added time, albeit in slightly fortunate circumstances, when his tame effort from 18 yards was spilled by Nizic only to be recovered in the nick of time on the line.

AFC Fylde: Lynch, Hunt (Ezewele 73), Langley, Tunnicliffe, Francis-Angol, Montrose, Bond, Finley, Muldoon (Tasdemir 82), Jones (Hardy 46), Rowe.

Morecambe: Nizic, Lund, Trialist, Kenyon (Fleming 61), McGowan, Rose (Headley 77), Wildig (Brough 61), Conlan, Campbell (Turner 46), Oliver (Deakin 46), Ellison (Thompson 70).

Ref: David Underwood.

Att: 635