Phil Parkinson admitted Altrincham were not at their best at AFC Fylde on Bank Holiday Monday but was still beaming with pride at his players’ endeavours after they maintained their unbeaten start to the season with four points from two tough fixtures in the space of 48 hours.

After stunning title favourites Chesterfield with a pulsating second-half performance that was crowned by a stoppage-time winner from Dior Angus just 48 hours earlier, the Robins found themselves on the wrong end of more late drama at Fylde.

A 2-0 half-time lead was wiped out in the second half, but Alty went ahead again with an 88th-minute Chris Conn-Clarke penalty, only for the home side to secure a dramatic 3-3 draw with another equaliser nine minutes into added time.

Incredibly, Alty conceded two penalties in less than a minute, the second one awarded and converted after a foul was committed as the Robins tried to clear their lines in the aftermath of a brilliant Ethan Ross save from the first.

“It was an off-day for us, and we probably didn’t deserve anything from this game, but if you had offered me four points from Chesterfield at home and Fylde away in the space of 48 hours, I’d have ripped your hand off,” said Alty boss Parkinson, whose side are home to Bromley on Saturday.

“Fylde are a very good team, well coached and well drilled and with good individuals, ex-league players among them.

“It does feel like two points dropped after we made it 3-2 so late on, but, to put it into context, George Wilson had been struggling with an injury and had to come off to leave us with 10 men, and then we find ourselves playing 11 minutes of added time.

“That is absolutely ridiculous - it’s like play until you score.

“What I will take from it is we would probably have lost that game last season, but we finished with a point.

“We have done really well to do that, and I have nothing but admiration for my players.”