Farsley Celtic take on Chorley this Tuesday evening at the Tarmac Silverlands Stadium as the Celts look to bounce back from the defeat at South Shields

Pav Singh’s side suffered a heavy 5-1 defeat at the hands of South Shields at the weekend where Farsley were never able to get into the game, and now look to bounce back immediately when they face second placed Chorley in Buxton.

Andy Preece’s side sit level on points with former Celt Andy Butler’s Scunthorpe United, however the Iron have the edge on goal difference going into their fixture away at Darlington this evening. Chorley will be looking to keep the pressure on Scunthorpe as we head into a busy December.

Farsley meanwhile sit 18th in the National League North, three points above the drop zone with their last league win coming in away at King’s Lynn after a superb 2-0 win at The Walks thanks to first half goals from Darren Stephenson and Manny Mampala. Farsley followed that up with a narrow 1-0 loss away at Kidderminster Harriers before the defeat at South Shields. Sandwiched in between those two games was the 1-0 FA Trophy victory away at Bamber Bridge.

Pav Singh is looking for a strong reaction to the defeat on Saturday, saying: “After a disappointing performance on Saturday, where we conceded some very poor goals, today’s game against Chorley provides an immediate opportunity to respond.

“Chorley, who are flying high in the league under the leadership of Andy Preece, will undoubtedly be another tough challenge, but it’s exactly the kind of test we need to show our character and bounce back.”

Speaking on the performance away at South Shields, Singh said: “We were way off the mark in terms of energy, organization, and intensity, and that’s something we’ve spoken about as a group.

“The focus today has to be on being more aggressive, sharper in the duels, and showing the kind of reaction that this squad is capable of.”

Singh also focused on the positives to be seen within the playing squad at the moment such as the new additions, saying: “Our new signing Isaac Abankwah showed real promise, giving us a glimpse of the grit and defending attributes for the team. Additionally, Joao brought a much-needed injection of energy in the second half, which is something we’ve been missing recently.

“We’ve shown in the past that we can respond when the chips are down, and that’s exactly the mentality we’ll need tonight. Let’s aim to put Saturday behind us, rise to the challenge, and deliver the kind of performance we all know this team is capable of.”

TEAM NEWS

The Celts were boosted by the return of Joao Silva at the weekend. The new signings also mean the squad is in a healthier position going into this midweek fixture.

CHORLEY

As mentioned, Chorley sit second on goal difference and one point in front of Kidderminster. A win today as well as Scunthorpe failing to win at Darlington would send the Magpies top of the league once again. Like Farsley, Chorley come into the game off the back of a defeat after losing 2-1 to Chester at the Deva Stadium at the weekend. Inlcuding that result, Andy Preece’s side have three wins out of five against the likes of Leamington, King’s Lynn Town and Spennymoor Town. As well as the loss at Chester, the Magpies recently lost 3-0 away at Marine.

LAST TIME OUT

The two sides played out a 1-1 draw on both occasions they faced each other last season. The first of which coming in the second fixture of the season at The Citadel. Ryan Watson’s early opener being cancelled out by Justin Johnson moments later. The reverse fixture at Victory Park coming in January of 2024 where former Celt Carlton Ubaezuonu’s header was met by Sam Leverett’s equaliser seven minutes later.

SOCIAL MEDIA

We’ll be providing live coverage of tonight’s game on our social media channels. Live commentary will return for Saturday’s trip to Oxford City.