Match Report Lancaster City 3 - 0 Farsley AFC

It was a bad day at the office for Farsley on Saturday as they kicked off their 2014/15 campaign with a 3-0 defeat at Lancaster.

A debatable penalty early on followed by two clumsy sets of defending cost Farsley dear as a clinical Lancaster side took full advantage of the chances they had.

It was a fairly even opening ten minutes in which either side could’ve taken the lead. Firstly Lancaster’s Jacob Davis headed narrowly wide from a corner then a couple of minutes later, Marcus Edwards beat the offside trap at the other end. Unfortunately the former Eccleshill striker stumbled on the ball, although he was able to pass to Charlie Clamp, but a tame shot didn’t trouble the keeper.

But the Dolly Blues began to signal what was to come when they hit the woodwork on 14 minutes. Aaron Taylor played in Tom Woods, he shot across Tom Taylor but the ball flicked off the base of the post.

But referee David Underwood awarded the hosts a disputed penalty a minute later when the ball struck a Farsley hand in the box. Tom Kilifin stepped up and sent Taylor the wrong way to put City ahead.

Farsley probably should have equalised five minutes later when Lewis Nightingale slotted in a great through-ball to Edwards but he fired over the crossbar.

The Villagers continued to enjoy possession for long periods of the first half but were struggling to cause any trouble for Lancaster keeper Mike Hale and the inevitable then happened as they nicked a second. A hopeful ball over the top caught the Farsley defence napping and Billy Akrigg found Kilifin who took the ball across the right hand side of the box before firing past Taylor.

And they guaranteed the three points four minutes after the break when a careless throw in from Ryan Serrant left Spencer Harris in trouble and he was too slow to stop Taylor flicking it over him before smashing in a decent finish to make it 3-0.

Taylor then almost grabbed a fourth with a hopeful shot from outside the box but Taylor made a good save diving to his left to divert it out for a corner.

The introductions of Danny Hull and Adam Priestley, coupled with the hosts taking their foot off the accelerator, saw Farsley carve out a few opportunities later on.

A pin-point cross from Jason St. Juste on the left wing found Edwards in space but he fired his header over the bar. Then in the 74th minute, a calamitous mix-up between centre-half Davis and the goalkeeper left a chance for Priestley but he couldn’t get enough behind it and it was scrambled off the line.

Attentions will now switch to Tuesday night’s local derby against Ossett Town as Farsley look to get their first points on the board.

Lancaster City: Hale, Hudson, Clark, Davis, Marshall, Bailey (Draycott 74), Winder, Akrigg, Woods, Taylor (Dodgson 66), Kilifin.
Subs not used: Donlon, Crossley, Birch.

Farsley AFC: Taylor, Hardy, Serrant, O’Brien, Riley, Harris, Nightingale (Hull 61), Daly, Edwards, Clamp (Priestley 53), St. Juste.
Subs not used: Lofthouse, Dempsey, Grant.

Referee: David Underwood
Attendance: 224