Men's First Team
National League North Fri 31 January Tarmac Silverlands Stadium
Farsley Celtic
1
Alfreton Town
4
1-4

The Celts had a mountain to climb by half time, with them trailing 3-0 after a brace from Liam Waldock and another from Jake Day had put Alfreton firmly in control.

Lewis Salmon made it four soon after the hour mark before Joao Silva pulled a goal back a couple of minutes later.

The visitors came out of the gates quickly and started the game on the front foot putting the young Celts under a lot of pressure early on.

It didn’t take long for Alfreton to take the lead as they worked the ball down the right wing and to the byline and pulled it across the box where Waldock was waiting to open the scoring for the visitors.

The Celts defensive resilience was tested well by Alfreton and Will Brook, making his Farsley debut between the sticks after arriving on loan from Nottingham Forest, was up to the task on plenty of occasions to keep out as barrage of shots from the visitors and he was needed on the 17th minute as he kept a shot out from close range before Abankwah made a goal line clearance as the ball bounced around the box.

Alfreton aided by Lumb’s long throw ins would cause problems when winning a throw in anywhere in Farsley’s half and it created a goal in the 41st minute as the ball came in and found the head of Jake Day who steered it home to double the visitors’ lead.

Two minutes later it was 3-0 as Billy Heath’s side broke down the right and Brook did well to pressure Day into an early chip which Misambo managed to clear but only as far as Waldock who scored his second of the game into an empty net.

Alfreton started the second half well and pulled further in front on the 64th minute as another long throw in was sent into the box and was taken down well by Salmon who turned and slotted in another goal for the visitors.

The Celts ensured Alfreton wouldn’t leave Silverlands with a clean sheet as Joao Silva pulled a goal back for Farsley in the 66th minute as he received the ball inside the Alfreton half and drove into the box before switching back onto his right foot and calmly slotting the ball into the back of the net to give the Celts a glimmer of hope.

The Celts showed a lot of resilience in the second half dealing well with a lot of long balls, crosses and long throw ins against a very physical opposition.

The visitors almost made it five deep into stoppage time with the last kick of the game as Kobe Hall’s free kick on the edge of the box clipped the outside of the post.