Farsley Celtic First Team - Match centre

Match preview

It’s a third cup competition in seven days as the Celts travel to Taurus Park to take on Radcliffe Borough in the FA Trophy Preliminary Round on Saturday.

Having lost against Bishop Auckland in the FA Cup last Saturday, and overcome Liversedge in the West Riding County Cup on Tuesday night, Farsley turn their attention to the FA Trophy tomorrow.

In the competition last season, the Celts played Prescot Cables at Throstle Nest and progressed to the First Qualifying Round after a comfortable 4-0 win. Paul Walker gave Farsley an eleventh-minute lead which they held at the break. In the second-half, Robbie O’Brien scored the Celts second, with Paul Walker getting number three and Leon Osborne completing the scoring in the last minute.

Shaw Lane was the destination in the next round in a seven-goal encounter. The Celts were behind in the opening minute, but levelled through skipper Robbie O’Brien on nineteen-minutes. However, parity lasted for just a minute as ex-Farsley striker Adam Priestley put the home side back in front. Back came the Celts though to make it 2-2 with O’Brien’s second of the match. Farsley them went ahead for the first time in the game as Aiden Savory scored on the stroke of half-time. Shaw Lane though were to turn it around with a brace from Morris on seventy-five minutes and eighty-eight minutes to send the Celts to a 4-3 defeat and FA Trophy exit.

Boro hosted Droylsden in the Preliminary Round last season and came through the tie with a 2-1 win. In the First Qualifying Round, Radcliffe travelled to Witton Albion and emerged victors, with 2-1 again the winning margin. Boro’s progress came to a halt in the Second Qualifying Round as they slumped to a 5-1 defeat at Buxton.

Coming into this game, Radcliffe played out a 1-1 draw with last Saturday, with a point salvaged by a Aboubacar Sanogo penalty on seventy-two minutes.

The Celts and Boro have recent FA Trophy history, having met in the 2012/13 season in the Preliminary Round. At Throstle Nest, Conor McDonagh gave the visitors the lead in the first-half and it looked to be enough to take Boro through, until Carr equalised six minutes from time. Despite the late reprieve, the Celts couldn’t make it count in the replay and exited 1-0.

For the winners of the tie, the First Qualifying Round will see a trip to play either Northwich Victoria or Mossley.