AFC Fylde’s unbeaten home record was ended by a determined second half fight back from a Chorley side that have now won on their last three visits to Kellamergh Park.

It was hyped up to the max pre-match as it was the first meeting this season between the two promoted sides from last season’s Evo-Stik Premier Division and it was the visitors who took the game to league-leaders Fylde.

Neither side were able to trouble the goalkeepers in the first ten minutes but it was Coasters’ stopper Ben Hinchliffe who was called into action first to deny Aaron Burns’ strike on the turn from finding a way into the Fylde net on ten minutes.

Danny Lloyd’s curling free kick was comfortably claimed by Chorley keeper Sam Ashton and after setting his side on the break former Fylde midfielder Jack Dorney took a low shot which Hinchliffe claimed well.

Adam Roscoe collected a loose pass and allowed team mate Josh Hine to race through but shoot well wide before an effort of his own was sent over the bar on the volley after half an hour.

After a couple of Burns crosses were plucked out of the air by Hinchliffe a moment of magic from Richie Allen saw him score the opening goal after taking on three defenders and firing past Sam Ashton into the bottom corner of the net on 37 minutes for the home side.

And four minutes later Danny Lloyd missed a gilt-edged chance to double Fylde’s lead when he fired over from close range after Ashton had turned Allen’s cross-come-shot towards him.

The league leaders had put themselves in a great position at half time but Play-off hopefuls Chorley came out determined to turn the tide in the second period.

But Lloyd was unlucky again not to score five minutes after the break after Danny Rowe had intercepted a poor pass and played him in only for him to shoot wide of the mark.

Chorley began pressuring the Fylde defence more and more but Dale Witham’s 30 yard strike after 54 minutes was thankfully scuffed well wide before Josh Wilson was bundled off the ball for Burns to run through and hit the side netting with his strike three minutes later.

The Magpies did get the goal they were searching for on 58 minutes when a corner wasn’t dealt with and found its way to Josh Hine to unleash a 30 yard drive that looked to take a touch off Burns on its way into the Fylde goal.

And the Play-off hopefuls were ahead five minutes later when Burns turned Hine’s cross into the goal from just five yards and stun the home side.

Fylde were still well in the game and tried to find an equaliser.  A number of crosses were cut out by Ashton – the best of which, sent in by Rowe, was plucked out of the air ahead of Allen who was racing in.

But with ten minutes to go Adam Sumner brought down Hine just inside his own area and despite the Fylde protests the Chorley midfielder duly stepped up to score the resulting penalty and effectively seal victory.

There was still time for Fylde to get something from this game but they struggled to find a way through Chorley’s back-line.  Rowe sent a strike wide of the post from outside the box when he may have had better options either side of him to play it too.

A better effort from Rowe saw Ashton pull off a fine save on his line after the Fylde striker sent a bullet of a header towards goal from a corner on 87 minutes.

This result drops The Coasters down to second in the table, a point behind Barrow, but still have two games in hand on their Cumbrian title rivals.  Chorley stay sixth but are now just a point off the Play-offs with a number of games in hand on the teams around them.

AFC Fylde: Hinchliffe, Hughes, Sumner, Langley, Hannigan, B. Barnes (C), Booth (M. Barnes 76), Wilson, Rowe, Lloyd, Allen (Blinkhorn 83); Subs not used: Denson, Tomsett, Charles.

GOAL: Richie Allen (37)

YELLOW: Josh Wilson (81)

Chorley: Ashton, Ross, Mather, Teague (C), Flynn, Roscoe, Hine, Witham, Dean (Simm 73), Burns (Cottrell 89), Dorney (Almond 84); Subs not used: Winter, Lynch.

GOALS: Josh Hine (58, 79 pen), Aaron Burns (63)

HT: 1-0

ATT: 1,048

MOM: Josh Langley

REFEREE: David Richardson