A Matt Blinkhorn double sealed AFC Fylde’s place in the quarter-finals of the Lancashire Senior Cup at the expense of a youthful Bolton Wanderers side.

Coasters veteran Blinkhorn put the visitors ahead shortly before the interval, before Cole Lonsdale’s improvised finish drew the sides level.

However, second-half strikes from Blinkhorn and Henry Jones put Fylde – making their debut in the competition – firmly in control and on their way to a last eight match-up against Oldham Athletic.   

Coasters boss Dave Challinor shuffled his pack for the trip to the County Ground, making eleven changes to the side that was beaten at Aldershot Town at the weekend, with six youngsters from the Academy set-up included in the squad. 

The visitors made a bright start under the floodlights in leyland with Serhat Tasdemir going close on the quarter-hour – Bolton stopper James Aspinall pushing the midfielder’s low drive from distance around the post.

Fylde looked most likely to break the deadlock as the half wore on, however each side was lacking a cutting edge.

Tackles were more prominent than goalscoring chances in the early stages, referee Lewis Smith dishing out three booking – two for the hosts and one for Fylde – in the opening half hour.

The deadlock was eventually broken on 37 minutes when Simon Grand, playing on the left of a back three, curled a cross into the lurking Blinkhorn who effortlessly nodded past Aspinall from 12 yards.

The Trotters – 12-time winners of the cup – looked for an immediate response when Jeff King played in Lonsdale who broke down the left however his fierce strike was blocked for a corner.

Lewis Montrose aimed to double the Coasters’ advantage in spectacular fashion on the stroke of half time when he cleverly intercepted as Bolton looked to break and lashed a powerful volley wide of the mark from 25 yards.

The second half kicked off in the same vein with neither side dominating, Bolton’s Alex Perry going closest five minutes after the break with a curling effort that flew wide of the far post.

King tried his luck with a similar effort moments later from the edge of the Fylde box, however his powerful strike crashed against the advertising boards.

Bolton were getting closer to drawing level and Dennis Politic tested Rhys Taylor for the first time, forcing the Welsh stopper into a top save with a free-kick that was arrowing towards the top corner.

Liam Edwards poked one narrowly over the bar from a dangerous corner on the hour mark as Bolton began to impose themselves on the game.

A deserved equaliser duly arrived on 67 minutes when a cross from the right was impressively flicked out of the desparing clutches of Taylor by Bolton forward Lonsdale. 

Fylde hotshot Tasdemir almost hit back with a sucker punch when he let fly from 20 yards but his precise strike was touched around the post by Aspinall. 

However it was the visitors that took the initiative and put themselves back in front with just over 10 minutes to play. Jones was brought down in the middle of the park and his free-kick was headed across goal by Grand and tucked away by the unmarked Blinkhorn.

Fylde sealed their passage to the next round in the final minutes when Tasdemir set up Henry Jones inside the area, allowing the Welsh starlet to smash the ball home from close range.

Bolton: Aspinall, Brockbank, Muskat, Edwards, Mitchell, Jones-Griffiths, Politic, Perry, King, Earling, Lonsdale.

Subs not used: Morris, Connell, Fearnley, Brown, Moulden.

AFC Fylde: Taylor, Richards, McCready, Grand, Mangan, Ezewele, Jones, Montrose, Tasdemir (Goshawk 88), Trialist (Kay 74), Blinkhorn. 

Subs not used: Kelly, Lynch.

Ref: Lewis Smith