AFC Fylde 1-0 Leyton Orient

AFC Fylde 1 – 0 Leyton Orient
Location	Wembley Stadium, Wembley, Middlesex HA9 0WS
Kickoff	19/05/2019 16:15

AFC FYLDE  1-0 LEYTON ORIENT
The Buildbase FA Trophy Final
Sunday 19 May 2019
Stephen McCartney reports from Wembley Stadium

AFC FYLDE celebrated winning The Buildbase FA Trophy at Wembley Stadium, courtesy of a sublime free-kick from Danny Rowe.

Dave Challinor’s men bounced back after suffering a 3-0 defeat to big-spending Salford City here in the Vanarama National League Promotion Final just eight days ago.

AFC Fylde created the first opening in the 16^th minute when substitute Tom Brewitt whipped in a cross from the right for Andy Bond to flick his shot over the crossbar whilst off balance.

And they called Leyton Orient keeper Dean Brill into making a diving save to deny AFC Fylde’s talisman Rowe, diving to his right as the striker swept in a shot from 15-yards.

A poor headed clearance from O’s centre-half Marvin Ekpiteta was met by a shot on the turn from Alex Reid, who swivelled and drove in a shot from 22-yards, which forced Brill to dive to his left to push around his post as Challinor’s side enjoyed a good spell.

A driving run by winger Nick Haughton saw him reach the edge of the Leyton Orient box before playing the ball inside to striker Reid, whose left-footed drive from 18-yards was comfortably saved by Brill.

Leyton Orient took 25 minutes to create their first opening when central midfielder James Brophy cut the ball onto his left-foot and stroked a shot towards the bottom right-hand corner, which was comfortably saved by Jay Lynch.

Leyton Orient’s left-back Joe Widdowson fed the ball into Josh Koroma’s feet but his right-footed drive sailed over the Fylde crossbar from 22-yards.

Koroma played a give-and-go with Craig Clay but failed to keep his shot down with a right-footed drive from 25-yards out.

AFC Fylde missed a glorious chance to open the scoring in the 43^rd minute when Reid outmuscled his marker close to the by-line within the right channel to roll the ball back to Rowe, who twisted and turned on the right-hand side of the box to sweep the ball across goal but midfielder Andy Bond skied his shot over the bar from three-yards out at the far post.

AFC Fylde worried the Leyton Orient defence when Haughton’s left-footed pass teed up Reid, who had to dig the ball out from under his feet and prodded the ball straight at Brill from 10-yards.

A pass along the lush hallowed turf by holding midfielder Ryan Croasdale released Rowe down the right channel but the Fylde striker dragged his low shot across Brill and harmlessly past the far post from 15-yards.

Leyton Orient went agonisingly close to taking the lead in the 50^th minute when a well-flighted curling free-kick from 30-yards from substitute Jordan Maguire-Drew beat keeper Lynch and bounced off the foot of the right-hand post and was put behind for a corner.

McAnuff swung in the resulting corner from the right which was met by a towering header at the far post by Daniel Happe, but the centre-half couldn’t keep his effort down.

Leyton Orient struck the near post in the 12^th minute of the second half. 

Maguire-Drew swung in a corner from the right towards the far post and Ekpiteta rose with Happe at the far post but Ekpiteta steered his header against the near post from three-yards out.

Leyton Orient kept knocking on the door as Maguire-Drew’s dinked pass played in midfielder Clay, who flicked his shot over the crossbar from a good position inside the box.

However, AFC Fylde grabbed the winner, timed at 14 minutes and 45 seconds on the clock, courtesy of Rowe’s sublime 25-yard free-kick.

Rowe whipped his right-footed free-kick over the wall and left Brill rooted to the spot as the ball curled sweetly into the top near corner.

Leyton Orient hit the post for the second time in the 70^th minute when left-back Widdowson cut into the box and stroked his left-footed shot against the base of the near post with Lynch playing his get out of jail card.

A penetrating run by McAnuff saw him float the ball into Fylde’s box for Maguire-Drew to side-foot his shot across Lynch and past the far post.

Brophy cut in from the right-wing and cut inside left-back Zaine Francis-Angol before drilling a left-footed shot from 15-yards, which was comfortably held by Lynch on his knees, who then comfortably saved a shot from 25-yards from Koroma as the O’s pressed for a late equaliser.

Maguire-Drew, who made a difference after coming on at the break, burst down the left wing and whipped in a deep cross which was met by substitute Matt Harrold but his downward header hit the turf and dropped over the bar.

AFC Fylde had a late chance to double their lead when Francis-Angol and Croasdale linked up down the left before Croasdale curled his left-footed shot across the diving Brill and pass the far post.

Reid latched onto a ball over the top inside injury-time but skied his shot over Brill’s crossbar.

It was a bad day for London sides on Non-League Finals Day as Cray Valley suffered a 3-1 extra-time defeat to Chertsey Town in The Buildbase FA Vase Final earlier on in the day.

The attendance for both games was 42,962.

But Leyton Orient celebrated their return to League Two after spending two years in the Vanarama National League.  Justin Edinburgh guided the O’s to the league title with 89 points from 46 games, finishing three points clear of Solihull Moors.

AFC Fylde completed their campaign in fifth-place with 81 points on the board and today’s victory will make up their disappointment of not joining Leyton Orient in League Two next season.

AFC Fylde: Jay Lynch, Arlen Birch (Tom Crawford 90), Zaine Francis-Angol, Ryan Croasdale, Jordan Tunnicliffe, Neill Byrne (Tom Brewitt 12), Nick Haughton (Timi Odusina 74), Andy Bond, Danny Rowe, Alex Reid, Danny Philliskirk.
Subs: James Hardy, Tom Crawford, Russell Griffiths

Goal: Danny Rowe 60

Leyton Orient: Dean Brill, Jamie Turley (Jordan Maguire-Drew 46), Joe Widdowson, Josh Coulson, Daniel Happe (Matt Harrold 68), Marvin Ekpiteta, Tobi Mcanuff (Charlie Lee 78), James Brophy, Macauley Bonne, Josh Koroma, Craig Clay.
Subs: Sam Ling, Sam Sargeant

Attendance: 42,962
Referee:  Mr Andrew Madley (Huddersfield, West Yorkshire)
Assistants: Mr Nick Hopton (Derby, Derbyshire) & Mr Akil Howson (Leicester, Leicestershire)
Fourth Official: Mr Matthew Donohue (Manchester, Greater Manchester)

STATEMENT:  This match report has been dedicated in the memory of Justin Edinburgh, the Leyton Orient manager, who sadly passed away on Saturday 8 June 2019, five days after suffering a cardiac arrest.