Match Report: Radcliffe 3-3 AFC Fylde

Danny Ormerod’s 87th minute equaliser ensured AFC Fylde ended their pre-season schedule with an entertaining 3-3 draw away at newly-promoted National League North outfit Radcliffe on Saturday afternoon.

Bryce Hosannah opened the scoring for Fylde but two goals in four-minutes from Jamie Morgan sent Radcliffe ahead prior to Taelor O’Kane’s goal drawing the Coasters level.

Josh Hancock’s low strike put Radcliffe in front again before Ormerod’s late goal at the Neuven Stadium.

Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morley’s hosts threatened early on when Walker whipped his free-kick into the box from the left for Rick Smith to head wide.

Coasters goalkeeper Theo Richardson was called into action on eight minutes, diving down low to his left to keep out Walker’s unmarked header after Jamie Morgan’s cross from the right.

Nine minutes later, Joe Riley weaved beyond two blue shirts to drill a powerful effort along the turf towards the bottom right-corner from 20-yards, with Mateusz Hewelt superbly pushed around the post to safety.

Fylde were then in front on 31 minutes. Jon Ustabasi turned Duxbury with quick feet to find Hosannah, who drove into an attacking position down the right to bend his left-footed strike into the far corner, deflecting off a Boro defender to beat Hewelt.

The Coasters went close to adding a second within two minutes of their opener, though Owen Evans’ pinpoint right-sided free-kick which was headed narrowly wide at the back-post by Harry Davis.

Half-Time: Radcliffe 0-1 AFC Fylde

The Coasters made seven changes to their first-half team ahead of the second 45 minutes.

Richardson turned defence into attack with an excellent lofted diagonal pass, with Brennan teeing up substitute Lincoln McFayden to cross into the box for Riley, who saw his goal-bound strike cleared off the line.

But Radcliffe were level 10 minutes into the half when Morgan turned in Walker’s cross from close-range to divert the ball beyond Richardson.

The contest was turned on its head on 59 minutes after Smith’s through-ball sent Morgan one-on-one with Richardson, who slotted under the Coasters stopper into the bottom right-corner.

Pushing to level, Nick Haughton pounced on Roscoe’s error to run clear at goal, however Hewelt stood up well to thwart Fylde’s number 10.

Fylde levelled on 71 minutes. O’Kane collected possession 35-yards from goal, running at the Radcliffe defence to side-foot a right-footed attempt across goal and into Hewelt’s bottom right-corner.

Radcliffe’s third came with 15 minutes left. Jake Thompson found Hancock after a run down the right, who fired low right-footed into Richardson’s bottom left-corner.

But Fylde equalised for a second time late on, as substitute goalkeeper Ewan Dodgson’s long punt found Ormerod, who coolly slotted right-footed past Hewelt into the bottom left corner as the Coasters ended pre-season with a draw ahead of their season opener next week against Solihull Moors.

AFC Fylde: Richardson (Dodgson 84), Evans (McFayden 45), Davis, Long (Obi 45), Hosannah (Hailwood 45), Riley (McCullion 76), Whelan (O’Kane 45), Mitchell (Haughton 45) Brennan (Holder 76), Ustabasi (Morris 45), Jolley (Ormerod 45)

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