AFC Fylde 3-0 Boston United

The Pilgrims' team coach took six hours to reach Kellamergh Park after hitting heavy traffic and with kick-off put back to 8.15pm, the visitors found themselves two goals down inside 17 minutes.

Danny Lloyd's long-ranger and Mark Jones' own goal put the Pilgrims on the back foot and United's woes were compounded in stoppage time when Richie Allen netted a third.

It was a bitter pill for the Pilgrims to swallow after showing excellent form since the turn of the year but their cause was not helped by Joel Dixon's return to Sunderland and injuries confining Dayle Southwell and Kaine Felix to the bench.

Dixon's replacement Sam Vince made his first appearance since October 25 and his rustiness showed as he let an 18-yard drive from LLOYD slip through his grasp and hit the back of the net.

Up until that point, United had started brightly but they were suddenly up against a white wave as Fylde attacked regularly.

Danny Rowe slammed an effort wide from Lloyd's cross, while Liam Marrs forced to head off the line to deny Rowe who had latched on to keeper Ben Hinchliffe's massive kick downfield.

United's problems deepened when they failed to clear Adam Sumner's inswinging free-kick and JONES inadvertently looped a header beyond his own keeper Vince.

Josh Wilson then fired marginally wide after another Lloyd cross had caused problems for the Pilgrims.

United gradually shrugged off their problematic coach journey and came to life with Carl Piergianni heading off target following three Nicky Walker corners, while Hinchliffe made a good low save to clutch Jones' downward header following Piergianni's whipped cross.

Hinchliffe made a crucial, sprawling save to deny Zak Mills on the angle after the break, while Piergianni planted a further header over the bar following Walker's corner.

Fylde remained a threat on the break but United remained resolute to limit their openings, although they did finally score a third when substitute ALLEN got away from Rene Steer to round Vince and angle home a drive which added unfair gloss to the scoreline.

Fylde (4-2-3-1): Ben Hinchliffe; Caspar Hughes, Josh Langley, Tom Hannigan, Adam Sumner; Josh Wilson, Bradley Barnes; Michael Barnes (Richie Allen 73), Matt Hamilton (Liam Tomsett 67), Danny Lloyd; Danny Rowe (Matt Blinkhorn 82). Subs (not used): Joe Booth, Luke Denson.

Boston (4-4-2): Sam Vince; Liam Marrs, Zak Mills, Carl Piergianni, Rene Steer; Grant Roberts, Scott Garner, Kyle Dixon, Nicky Walker; Marc Newsham (Jamie McGhee 59), Mark Jones. Subs (not used): Dayle Southwell, Kaine Felix, Michael Hollingsworth, Louis Saebe.

Referee: Kevin Mulraine.

Attendance: 349.

PIC: Eric Brown.