Match Report: Southend United 2-0 AFC Fylde

AFC Fylde fell to a 2-0 defeat away at Southend as a result of Josh Walker’s strike from distance moments before the break and Emeka Obi’s unfortunate own-goal just past the hour mark.

The first opening of the encounter came when James Golding headed a teasing corner well over the bar with just over five minutes on the clock.

Moments later Nick Haughton and Tyler Roberts combined well down the left-hand-side to earn the first corner of the game for the Coasters, with Danny Ormerod forcing Nathan Harness to make a superb save following Houghton’s well placed set-piece. 

Gus Scott-Morris then sliced his effort wide just before Charley Kendall was unable to connect with Macauley Bonne’s inviting low ball into the middle from the left-hand-side.

Walker also failed to finish from inside the six-yard-box following a goalmouth scramble on the back of an exquisite stretching save from Ben Winterbottom just shy of the twenty minute mark.

The Coasters won several corners on the break as Max Bardell saw several crosses diverted behind.

But it was Walker who opened the scoring for the hosts moments before the break when he shrugged off the challenge from Ethan Mitchell just outside the centre-circle, before driving towards the edge of the area and firing low to Winterbottom’s right-hand-side.

Minutes into the second 45 Haughton struck a free-kick from 25-yards out just over the bar following Harry Taylor’s late challenge on Roberts as he looked to counter.

There were big penalty appeals for Kevin Maher’s side as Walker felt he was unfairly brought down just inside the area, but he was booked for simulation.

Second-half substitute Gavin Massey played Joe Riley through on goal with an excellent back heel as Fylde looked to draw level, but the latter was unable to slide it past Harness from close range just over an hour in.

Shortly after Southend’s lead was doubled when Obi headed Scott-Morriss’ looping cross from the right back position past Winterbottom and into the top-left corner of his own goal.

A free-kick from Scott-Morriss sailed just over the bar as he came close to a third for the hosts with just over twenty minutes left to play.

Moments later the Shrimpers again went in search of a third when substitute Keenan Appiah-Forson fired wide from just outside the area.

Massey almost halved the deficit when Harness palmed his curling effort away from goal with less than ten minutes of regulation time remaining.

But bar a wayward effort from Masey early into added time, there were no other real opportunities for either side as the referee drew a close to proceedings, ending a disappointing evening for the Coasters in Essex.

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