FA Cup exit could be blessing, says Fylde boss

Summer signings Rhys Taylor and Brendon Daniels have both missed the last month of action but a rare free Saturday (October 1), which has been set aside for the next round, will give the duo more recovery time.

Challinor said: “It’s not been ideal to have players missing but you have to hope ou can get through games and pick up results without it costing you.

“In fairness, we have done that very well. We have continued to pick up points with key players out, so when they come back we will just be stronger still.

“Going out of the cup will help them both because we have a weekend off.

“(Goalkeeper) Rhys has been joining in a bit this week and Brendon will be back towards the end of this week or early next.

“Come the Kidderminster game (October 8) we could have two new players available.”

The Coasters return to National North action at home to Gainsborough on Saturday and away to Stockport next Tuesday – the latter rearranged after last week’s downpours – then have an 11-day break before visiting Kidderminster.

And Challinor hopes the disappointment of the FA Cup will spur his side on.

“We don’t forget about defeats because we try to learn from games,” he said. “Had we won at Alfreton by four or five goals I don’t think many people would have any complaints.

“I am a perfectionist and I always want us to do better, but sometimes you can over-analyse. It was just one of those games when we didn’t get what we deserved and that happens. I’m sure it will happen again before the end of the season because that’s football.

“It’s not as if we’ve not performed and deserved to lose, far from it.

“If we hadn’t created anything I would have been more concerned. We were probably just not ruthless enough. That is one criticism we will have to take on board.

“Concentration turns back to the league now and we want to keep up our unbeaten run. We have plenty of goals in the team – we just have to go back to sticking them away.”

As for Gainsborough, Challinor added: “People will see a game between a team that are struggling (14th) and the top team in the league as a foregone conclusion but we won’t be approaching it like that.

“But if we play like we know we can we will cause most teams problems.”