Bosses agree with Coasters call-off

Both managers were in agreement that the right decision was taken to abandon AFC Fylde's match against Maidstone United.
An increasingly rain-affected pitch at Mill Farm    Picture: Steve McLellanAn increasingly rain-affected pitch at Mill Farm    Picture: Steve McLellan
An increasingly rain-affected pitch at Mill Farm Picture: Steve McLellan

The Coasters were 2-1 up moments into the second half when referee Marc Edwards took the decision to end the game early thanks to the impact of Storm Brian.

Coasters’ manager Dave Challinor said: “It was never going to be be a great spectacle with 60 mile an hour winds and driving rain. The referee was asking questions as to what we thought but at the end of the day it was irrelevant.

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“You can’t play football when the pitch gets like that even though both clubs and both sets of fans would have like to have seen the game finished.

“Maidstone won’t want to come back up here on a Tuesday night and we are disappointed because we were in the lead.

“We got onto the front foot and didn’t over-complicate it. Both sides had opportunities but we have to write it off now and look forward to another home game against Wrexham on Tuesday.”

Maidstone boss Jay Saunders added: “I thought it was quite a close game in the first half, but the weather took over. The ball was stopping all over the pitch and we knew that was going to be the end of it.

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“I was disappointed with the goals we conceded but with the wind against us it was very difficult, as Fylde would have no doubt found out in the second half.

“We would have far preferred to got the game done and dusted on the day but it had become dangerous and it was the correct decision to call the game off.”