AFC Fylde boss wants FA Cup victory against Chesterfield

Dave Challinor is hoping to go one step further when AFC Fylde commence their FA Cup campaign this afternoon.
AFC Fylde's Joe Cardle      Picture: Steve McLellanAFC Fylde's Joe Cardle      Picture: Steve McLellan
AFC Fylde's Joe Cardle Picture: Steve McLellan

The Coasters reached the second round of the competition proper last term for the first time in the club’s history.

They were 10 minutes away from a third round clash with Premier League side AFC Bournemouth, too, only to be eventually beaten 3-2 by Wigan Athletic in extra time of their replay.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Challinor’s men begin this season’s FA Cup adventure with a home clash against Chesterfield today, a side with whom they drew 0-0 in the league two weeks ago.

“The way the draw is it’s quite a small draw so there’s a big likelihood you’re going to be playing a team you’ve already played in the recent past or about to play them in the near future,” Challinor said.

“That was the case but the big thing for us is that we’re at home.

“It’s a rest from the league but it’s a competition we want to try and progress in.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We’ve always said we want to try and better what we’ve done previously.

“Last season we got to the second round with the added bonus of a TV game against Wigan.

“We now want to try and get ourselves in that first round draw, just as Chesterfield will.”

However, the Coasters’ boss acknowledges his players need to show more of a clinical touch in front of goal.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

They have only scored 22 times in 16 games this season but, at the other end of the pitch, have conceded just seven goals.

It is away from home where the Coasters have struggled to break teams down, netting just five times in eight games.

“We’ve not got as many as I’d like to be honest but I think we’re guilty of missing some really big opportunities,” Challinor said.

“Joe (Cardle) has had a couple, one at Chesterfield and one at Barnet, and then Ash (Hemmings) at Halifax.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We have missed opportunities and we know we need to be more clinical. The lads aren’t under pressure, but they need to be doing a little bit more.”

Challinor has suggested one potential reason could be the work opposition teams have done to combat them.

The Coasters were the league’s top scorers last season and he believes sides are setting up differently.

“I suppose to some degree we came into the division last year as the unknown quantity and we were free-scoring,” the Fylde boss added.

“What opposition teams have done against us this year has been to be more secure and to make it difficult, as you would expect them to.”