AFC Fylde v Harrogate Town: 'There are no second chances', says Jack Muldoon

Having won the division in 2016/17 with Lincoln City, Jack Muldoon knows exactly what it takes to get promoted out of the National League.
Harrogate Town's top-scorer Jack Muldoon in action against his former club, AFC Fylde. Picture: Matt KirkhamHarrogate Town's top-scorer Jack Muldoon in action against his former club, AFC Fylde. Picture: Matt Kirkham
Harrogate Town's top-scorer Jack Muldoon in action against his former club, AFC Fylde. Picture: Matt Kirkham

He is also all too aware of the perils of the play-offs after the AFC Fylde team he was a member of fell at the first hurdle last term following a seventh-placed finish.

This season, the 29-year-old forward is aiming to go one, two or even three better with his current employers, Harrogate Town, while hoping that the Coasters' promotion push falters at exactly the same stage as it did 12 months ago.

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"You've got to play your heart out. There are no second chances in the play-offs and the lads are aware of that," Muldoon said ahead of Wednesday evening's clash at Mill Farm.

"This time last year, I fell at the first hurdle with Fylde. We'd played 4-3-3 all season and changed to a back three for that game [against Boreham Wood] then found ourselves 2-0 down in less than 20 minutes.

"We then had to change back to the formation we'd been used to, but the damage had already been done. With that it mind, I think it's very important that we stick to what we know on Wednesday night.

"Fylde are a very good team, better than they were last year and it's going to take personality, graft and determination to get a result there, but what we have to do is play to our strengths and get the the ball down.

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"We haven't really showed it enough over the course of the season, however when we bring our A-game, we can beat anyone in this division."

Muldoon concedes that Town, who finished the regular season in sixth position and seven points behind Fylde, head into the play-off eliminator as underdogs, but says that this tag doesn't bother him.

"I quite like being the underdog if I'm honest," he added.

"I'm extremely confident about Wednesday night and the rest of the lads are confident as well.

"We've grafted hard all year for this. Yes, we've scraped over the line in the end, there's no two ways about it, but people wrote us off before a ball had even been kicked.

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"It's quite an achievement to have finished sixth in our first season in the National League and now we have the chance to go on and try and get promoted.

"That's the beauty of the play-offs, I think that quality will shine through in the end.

"We'll need to show composure in some big games if we are to go on and do it and if you're not able to produce that then I think it proves that you're probably not ready to go up."

Kick-off at Mill Farm on Wednesday is at 7pm, with BT Sport cameras broadcasting the game live on TV.

For anyone wanting to attend the match, Harrogate Town Supporters' Club are running coaches to Lancashire.

For more information or to book your place, please contact Jordan Ford on 07989969575