Knowles has been deployed in defence and on the right for the Celts this season, but a return to his favoured central-midfield role has led to a return to form for the ex-Harrogate Railway and Garforth Town man.

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It has also coincided with an upturn in fortunes for Farsley, who were unlucky to lose to a last-gasp goal at Kidderminster Harriers last month but picked up a welcome points from goalless draws against Stevenage Borough and Altrincham.

It has given Knowles – who feared for his place just a few weeks ago as boss John Deacey bolstered his squad in the transfer window – a new lease of life.

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Knowles said: "I was playing out on the right and I thought my form had dropped and if it didn't pick up again I might end up on the bench.

"When Scott Gardner came in on loan from Leeds, with him being a natural right-sided player I thought he would get in ahead of me because I always find myself drifting inside.

"But the manager moved me back into the middle for the Kidderminster game and it has done me the world of good, it's got me playing well again."

He added: "I had a shocking game in defence against Woking earlier in the season. The match was on television and Paul Parker absolutely hammered me on Setanta Sports. He ripped me to bits – and the lads did as well.

"I don't mind playing at the back, I have done a couple of times, and in a few years when my legs are going I might go back there. But for now, I prefer been in the middle where I can get stuck in."

And Farsley look set to keep Knowles in his more accustomed role, with the arrival of Georges Santos from Alfreton and the fine form of stand-in skipper Amjad Iqbal and Mark Jackson – a scorer in the 2-1 extra-time defeat at Droylsden in the Setanta Shield in midweek – bolstering the back line.

Goalkeeper Curtis Aspden, who impressed on-loan at Harrogate Town at the start of the season, has been snapped up from Hull City on a permanent basis.

And in front of all of them, Knowles has struck up a good partnership with Craig Bentham, on-loan from Bradford City, with the combative duo both liking a tackle.

It has all combined to make the Celts, who suffered a series of heavy defeats earlier in the season, a much tougher nut to crack.

Knowles said: "Me and Craig are very similar in that we both throw our body on the line and his arrival seems to spur me on.

"I'll go in hard for a challenge and when the ball pops up he'll go in and so on. We are sharing the workload and no midfielders will get an easy ride against us – they will know they have been in a game.

"We have really started picking up since Christmas.

At Kidderminster the last-minute goal was a killer but the performance was good, and then against Stevenage we were excellent and should have beat them.

"We just need to push on now and I am confident we will get out of the situation we are in and stay up.

"We have brought in some young players and a couple of experienced players and it seems to have given the rest of the lads a jolt.

"People are not guaranteed to be playing every week, they are all vying for positions and the team spirit has got even better as well since we have started coming good.

"The new players have added that bit extra but the lads who have been here a while are still in there doing a job so it is a nice mix.

"There is competition all over the pitch now, we have quality cover in every position, and it is bringing the best out of the team."