AFC Fylde provide the opposition in the north-west this weekend as Mill Farm is host to a Fleet side seeking to shake off last weekend’s defeat. But it’s a feeling Fylde also have to overcome after they lost at Braintree Town.

Form guide
Like Ebbsfleet, Fylde have made a managerial change which sees former Hartlepool boss Kevin Phillips in the dugout, replacing Chris Beech who departed in mid-September. Since Phillips’ arrival at the start of October, the Coasters have won two of their last six matches to leave 2023’s North champions in 21st place, 10 points above the Fleet. Despite that, the Coaster remain in the bottom four with the second highest goals-conceded number in the division.

Head to head
Last season’s trip to Mill Farm saw 10-man Fleet pick up a point thanks to a Dom Poleon opener, followed by a controversial red card for Ouss Cissé, the second 1-1 draw in four visits to Fylde..

Back at the Kuflink for the return fixture last season, a crucial win thanks to a Ben Chapman brace set the Fleet on their way to survival in April.

Who’s who
In goal for the Coasters is 23-year-old Ben Winterbottom who arrived at AFC Fylde in the summer on loan from Brentford. Winterbottom has featured in all National League fixtures for the Lancashire side, keeping two clean sheets along the way. An academy product of Blackburn who moved to Liverpool as a youngster, Winterbottom now arrives at Fylde following a successful loan spell at Welling United.

A 31-year-old centre back, Harry Davis – who scored in last year’s fixture – heads into his third season with Fylde having been recruited from Scunthorpe. The vastly experienced centre half has enjoyed the majority of his football in the EFL playing for the likes of Crewe Alexandra and Morecambe. Davis also spent a season in Scotland with St Mirren.

Top scorer in the National League, Nick Haughton arrived at Mill Farm in 2018 from Salford City and he has 12 goals to his tally so far. Haughton is nearing 100 goals in total for AFC Fylde in just over 200 appearances in all competitions.

The manager
Kevin Phillips will take charge of his seventh game for the Coasters against the Fleet following the departure of Chris Beech. The former Sunderland striker and England international used to play against the Fleet as a teenager for Baldock Town in the early 1990s before breaking into League football. He was appointed Hartlepool manager the day they played at the Kuflink Stadium last January but departed there in the close season.

Tickets
Away day information for Mill Farm is here.

From the Fleet camp…
Boss Harry Watling looks ahead to the away day in a video interview to follow on our socials.