This week’s match in focus sees AFC Fylde host Aldershot at Mill Farm
Chris Beech oversaw a miraculous survival last year, guiding the Coasters to 18th. After a treacherous start to the 2024/2025 season, the 50-year-old was dismissed, with Chris Neal and Nathan Delfouneso taking the reins on a temporary basis in the meantime.
Things started positively for the duo, winning 2-1 against Southend and drawing 1-1 with Woking at home before a third home game in the space of a week saw them lose 1-2 to fellow strugglers Tamworth. A 2-0 loss at title favourites Barnet won’t have set alarm bells ringing just yet on the Fylde coast, but their current league standing (22nd) is a slight cause for concern.
Aldershot started the season with promise, drawing 3-3 against title-chasing Forest Green, before defeating a resilient Halifax side 0-1 on the road. However, the Shots now sit 15th with manager Tommy Widdrington failing to get a tune out of his usual potent attack.
The Shots were unlucky to miss out on the playoffs last year, finishing outside the playoffs by just two points. It was perhaps their defence that let them down, conceding 83 goals – the fourth most in the league. Work has been done to rectify this in the summer, but it took some time for the new-look back line to gel after conceding 14 goals in the opening seven games. Since then, the defence has shored up, conceding just three goals in the next five.
Looking at each team's respective goal records, this match, on the face of it, suggests plenty of goals. AFC Fylde have scored 13 and conceded 24 goals in 12 games, with their matches averaging just over three goals. Aldershot have scored and conceded 17 goals apiece, with their matches seeing an average of 2.83 goals.
However, with the Coasters embarking on a new era and Aldershot in a bit of a rut, this presents some value in the ‘under’ market.
Bet365 have set the Asian Line at 3.0, meaning if there is more than three goals, this bet is a loser, if there is less than three goals the bet is a winner and if it ends on exactly three goals, we get a refund.
Prediction: Under 3.0 Asian Goal Line @1.900
If AFC Fylde do score, it's likely to be from Nick Haughton. The 30-year-old scored 18 goals last seaosn and has started this season on fire. Of The Coasters' 13 goals, Haughton has scored 10.
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