[themaclad]

Another new ground on Tuesday with a first visit to Mill Farm the swanky new home of AFC Fylde, with it's bars, resterant and other corporate hospitality it's hard to believe that this is a Conference North club who also happen to be a club whose players are full time. Now my view of clubs like Fylde, Salford, Veggie Green Rovers, Eastleigh and any other club who think they can buy their way through the leagues is that they are not providing the true ethos of non league football.
In respects of Salford, did love the as they are one irony of the BBC stating Salford's rise was against the odds, when you have a billionaire chairman and five extremely wealthy directors it means yours odds are considerably shortened.
Anyway back to Fylde they have the aim of being in the Football league by 2022 however they are at the moment finding that getting closer by one more promotion is being a tad difficult as they seem each season to find two clubs who are just slightly better. This seasonwill also prove tough as the Conference North now has some severely strong clubs, as Darlington, Halifax, Stockport, Kidderminister plus the likes of Harrogate who also arevthere or thereabouts every season.
Tonights visitors were Curzon Ashton from Greater Manchester, the Nash as they are called have done exceedingly well to survive at this level as they are one of the smaller clubs at this level. Their season had started with a 6-1 home defeat to Kidderminister followed by 2 4-4 draw with Bradford so at the back they were a bit pourous.
No concessions so it was £12 quid to standl, luckily it was a barmy late summer's evening, Fylde began well and were one up within 12 minutes when Rowe causes curled the ball past Burton in the Curzon net. Fylde looked like they would score more having one effort go close and hit the post with another effort.
Curzon gamely got back into the game and tested Thompson with a free kick which he saved easily, credit to both teams they both played passing football from the back which started with both keepers(Pep would have been impressed) however the crisper passing came from the home side.
Moved from the side of the pitch to behind one of the goals in the second half and it was obvious to me that there was a distinct lack of passion from the supporters although both had drummers. Fylde went 2 up when the Nash defence disappeard and Dixon fired home from the inside right position. Tough task for Nash but they had reduced the arrears within two minutes the home side switched off at a corner and from the resulting play Flynn's possibly deflected effort beat Thompson.
Curzon had probably started the better in the second half but the feeling was that the home side would score again and following a mazy run and shot by Hughes was only partially saved by Burton and the rebound was casually put away by Rowe. There was to be no comeback this time as with virtually the klast kick of the game Rowe completed his hat trick from a free kick, has to be said it was a poor wall by the Nash.
this was Rowe's 14th goal of the season not bad from a player who rarely does anything throughout the game apart from shoot and score.
Odd experience probably summed up by the Nash fans who sang, "You're only here for the money" Little empathy for bankrolled clubs especially at this level.

AFC Fylde 4 Curzon Ashton 1 Att 1362