COASTERS’ HOT-SHOT ROWE IS AT IT AGAIN

DANNY ROWE once again took centre stage with two more goals for unbeaten Fylde away to promotion rivals Ebbsfleet.

These two sides both reached the play-offs last season and have similar aspirations this time out.

Rowe’s brace came in the space of eight minutes at the start of the second half and knocked the stuffing out of a Fleet side who were on a three-match winning run.

Victory kept the Coasters third, just a point off the top going into Tuesday’s showdown with Salford.

Fylde boss Dave Challinor said: “We knew it would be tough coming here.

“I still maintain that the two teams have got a real chance this season.

“I was happy with the first half, our movement in the final third. We were great for twothirds of it in terms of territory but we just couldn’t get going in the final third.

“We got a little bit of luck with the first goal and that put us in the ascendancy. Once you get the second, you try to manage the game.

“They scored a worldie which got them back in it and it could have been a nervy last 10-15 minutes so to get one on the break was really pleasing.”

Rowe went close twice during a dominant start by the visitors although Ebbsfleet raised their game as the first half wore on.

Danny Kedwell and Ebou Adams found themselves in good position but made poor decisions at the crucial moment and failed to work Fylde keeper Jay Lynch. Four minutes into the second half, Rowe looked boxed in down the left but managed to swirl his crossshot over Nathan Ashmore and into the far corner. Ashmore was left grasping thin air again soon after as Rowe curled a sublime free-kick over the wall after Dave Winfield had blocked a shot with his arm. It was hard to see Fleet getting back into the game until substitute Corey Whitely lashed home his fourth goal of the season with a shot which flew in off the crossbar. A grandstand finish looked on the cards until Gime Toure broke the Ebbsfleet offside trap and ran through to beat Ashmore with a cool finish. Fleet boss Daryl McMahon said: “They’ve had three shots on target and scored three goals – we’ve had another load of chances and only scored one. “Danny Rowe is the best goal scorer in the division and we’ve been beaten by him today – two fantastic goals. We’ve switched off for both goals and it was disappointing. “We could have defended better for all three goals but in the actual game, we defended really well as a team. “We’ve got to keep creating chances and keep believing. There was a spell at 2-0 when we looked like we didn’t believe until we scored and then we had a bit of life again.”