Development Squad Galaxy Lancashire League
AFC Fylde 7-2 Chorley
AFC Fylde star Brendon Daniels played 90 minutes for the Development Squad as he continued his comeback from injury in a thrilling victory over local rivals Chorley last night.
Five of Dave Challinor’s first team turned out for the reserve side but it was striker Matt Blinkhorn that was the star of the show with a fine hat-trick in a sensational 7-2 win.
Goalkeeper Tony Thompson and midfielders Matty Hughes Richie Baker also featured, but despite the strong line-up, the Coasters fell behind after just five minutes at Kellamergh Park. Chorley’s Jordan Darr found himself unmarked at the back post and tapped home a low cross from the right.
Fylde pushed for a leveller as young striker Baba Conteh looped a header well over from Baker’s corner on the fifteen minute mark.
Baker fired a sighter himself when he met a loose ball on the edge of the box with stinging volley but his strike flew well over the bar.
The Coasters were back on level terms after 25 minutes when the ball fell kindly to the lively Conteh 10 yards out and he tucked the ball under the goalkeeper.
Fylde defender James Corbett then had two header cleared off the line from consecutive corners as the hosts piled on the pressure.
However, the visitors launched a counter attack seconds later and regained the lead. Darr was played clean through and cleverly rounded Thompson before sliding the ball into an empty net.
The game was becoming an end to end affair and Blinkhorn was narrowly wide with a glancing header from Hughes’ right wing cross. Baker launched another thunderbolt and this time his sweet left-footed strike was on target and forced Kyle Haslan into a good save.
The first teamers we running riot and after some clever footwork, Blinkhorn rifled an effort at goal that was theatrically tipped over.
The hosts were given a golden opportunity to equalise when Daniels was hauled down in the box and Baker duly obliged, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way with the resultant spot-kick.
Fylde took just a minute to complete the turnaround when Blinkhorn flicked a header over the advancing goalkeeper and into the gaping goal.
The second half kicked off in the same vein and the Coasters had a fourth just five minutes after the break when Hughes lifted the ball over the keeper after racing clear.
Striker Blinkhorn grabbed his second of the evening on the hour-mark when he ghosted past his man into the area before calmly slotting into the far corner of the goal.
The Coasters continued to search for more and almost had a sixth when Baker fizzed a vicious effort narrowly wide of the right hand post from distance.
The sixth did, however, arrive on 67 minutes when Daniels crossed from the left and Blinkhorn finished with a neat touch from close range to complete his hat-trick.
Fylde made it a magnificent seven with 15 minutes to go and it was one of the goals of the evening – substitute Bradley Knox curling home into the top corner with a one-touch finish from 20 yards.
There was no let up from the hosts as Daniels whipped in another delightful ball from the left and Hughes really should have done better with his header.
Blinkhorn almost had an unprecedented fourth in the closing stages after a neat move saw Hughes cross from the right but the striker nodded a foot over.
AFC Fylde: Thompson, Ashby, Nightingale, Corbett, Walsh, Baker, Hughes, Conteh, Blinkhorn, Wilson, Daniels.
Goals: Conteh (25), Baker (38), Blinkhorn (41, 60, 67), Hughes (52), Knox (74)
Chorley: Haslan, Darr, Simm, Darcy, Green, Taberner, Wood, Farnworth, Southworth, Darr, Hartley.
Goals: Darr (5, 29)