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Monday, February 8

Saturday's game was one of those days in football where nothing falls for you.

It was a disappointing result for us but it was also a promising performance.

We did everything in the game but failed to score.

We dominated the majority of the game yet we couldn't seem to put the ball in the back of the net. Whether it was a lucky deflection off one of their players or great saves pulled off by their goalkeeper it just didn't seem to fall right for us.

We had the chance to take the lead in the first half following some good football which led to a penalty but their goalkeeper made a great save, they then mounted their first serious attack and scored from it.

They then sat back and soaked up our pressure but we just couldn't seem to break them down. We had appeals for two more penalties which we thought were definite penalties.

They came looking for a 1-0 win and at every chance they would slow the game right down and waste time even from as early as the first half. That frustrated our play to some extent yet we still played some good football.

We feel we did enough to get something out of the game but like I said it was just one of those days. We now go to Hyde on Monday and know that there is a chance to take 3 points from that game.

We know the importance of beating the teams in and around us and we will be trying everything we can to gain the 3 points on Monday.






Tuesday, February 2

A great end to a great week for us. We took six points against teams around us and that will be vital come the end of the season.

After beating Harrogate in our previous match it was important that we backed that up with another victory against Solihull and we duly obliged.

We rode our luck at times in the game but on the flip side we created so many chances that if we had converted them we would have run away with the game.

Solihull started the game like we had started the previous game. They were on top for the majority of the first half and we started slowly. We played our way into the game and after their early pressure we started to get a foothold in the game.

We started much brighter in the second half and because of that we took the lead. We surrendered the lead 5 minutes later and were in for a battle again. We didn't panic, we knew we had enough in us to beat Solihull and we went in search of another goal.

We then won a penalty, which I feel the referee got right although the Solihull players didn't seem to share that view, which was converted and we had the lead once again.

They then brought on another striker and changed their formation to three up front and bombarded us with long balls, which we dealt with quite well. They did have a shot that struck the crossbar and appeared to cross the line but neither of the officials saw the incident and gave us the benefit of the doubt.

We needed the win and we now are 10 points clear of the relegation zone. We have a target number of points and we are getting closer and closer each game we play.



Friday, January 29


The last two games have produced a bit of a mixed bag in terms of results for us. A loss against Northwich followed by a win against Harrogate.

We didn't particularly play well in the Northwich game but feel we deserved maybe a point out of the game. To score 2 goals at home and lose a game is not what we want to happen and we know we need to stop conceding as many goals.

We played well in the first half and probably should have gone into half-time with more than a 1-0 lead. We started sloppy in the second half and took the lead against the run of play. We then defended poorly and that cost us the game.

This put a little bit more pressure on us to get something out of Tuesdays night's derby with Harrogate.

The game already had a lot riding on it. A local derby between two teams who are involved in a relegation battle and it was also a bit of a personal battle with the way Harrogate Town tried to entice one of our players to play for them.

We were up for this game and I think you could tell with the way we started. In the first 25 minutes Harrogate struggled to get out of their half. We know we play better when our tempo is high and we are buzzing around the field.

We took the lead which was more then we deserved and again we possibly should have been further in front come the half-time break.

Harrogate came more into the game after the interval and put us under pressure. There equaliser was from a set piece, a part of our game we know we need to improve, and with the balance of play was warranted.

We didn't panic and replied with another goal, the eventual winner, ten minutes later. Harrogate continued to press us but we hung on and took the three points.

Our next 2 league games are massive ones and could shape our season. We play Solihull on Saturday and a week Saturday we face Gloucester. If we gain maximum points from those games then we will be well on our way to achieve safety.



January 28

Finally I have a match that I can report on after a 5 weeks.

If we were to pick a team to play against after not playing since 12th December 2009 I think Fleetwood Town would have been the last name on our list.

A team that have played regularly over the Christmas period, are top of the table and arguably the best team we have played this season.

Still with this in mind we went into the game with no fear. We knew it was a game we didn't really have anything to lose from and we set ourselves up to take the game to them.

With Fleetwood unbeaten at home this season, a lot of teams go to Highbury waiting for the home side to score and invariably go on to win the game.

We went there thinking they could underestimate us and we could spring a surprise.

The first 45 minutes was a very equal half. We started the game brightly and took it took them and caught them on their heels. We had two great chances in the first 20 minutes and if we take them we could be reporting on a different score line.

After that they started coming in to the game without really threatening our goal. Overall I think we shaded the first period and maybe should of gone into the second half with a lead.

The turning point in the second half was their manager's decision to change their two strikers. The two new players injected a bit more of a spark and pace to their team and changed the game.

Their two goals could have been prevented, although their second was top-class strike from Milligan within his own half.

This knocked the stuffing out of us and we resorted to playing long balls, which doesn't suit our style of play.

Even though we lost the game there were positives that we could take out of it. We finally got a game under our belts and got rid of a bit of rustiness that we may have had.

We now have a string of winnable games, none more so than Saturday's home fixture against Northwich Victoria. It's a game we can win and we will be looking to take maximum points from it.


Monday, December 14

Through in one cup and out of the other.

First we played Halifax in the West Riding Cup. This was a local derby and a nice break from the league games we'd been playing.

Both sides had changed teams and it gave the opportunity for the younger lads and some of the players that haven't been playing regularly a chance to play.

The game was played in the right manner with both teams playing decent football on a poor pitch.

We won the game 2-1 but we felt we always had another gear to go into if we needed and felt we won the game comfortably.

Saturday's game was very different. After playing Corby at Throstle Nest we believed we could go there and win. We didn't deserve to lose at our place and that gave us the confidence to go there and get a result.

Unfortunately that didn't happen. The 2-0 score line suggests that it was a comfortable win for Corby but if you ask them they know they had to work hard for it.

We didn't deserve to lose but on the same note we didn't particularly deserve to win. The game could of gone either way and if we would have scored when we had pressure on them then the game could of swung in our favour.

Sadly that didn't happen and Corby won the game and ended our Wembley dreams. Again we are not too disheartened by the loss, as we know survival in the Blue Square North is our main priority but it would have been nice for a cup run.

We are still in the West Riding cup and have a realistic chance of winning that. We are back to league business on Saturday and we will be attempting to do the double over Hyde.

The Christmas period is a big time for us and we are looking to start it well by getting 3 points in Hyde.

Monday, December 7

Farsley Celtic are definitely not lacking in the entertainment department this season.

Saturdays game was another thrilling game yet was one we didn't hit top form in. It was another test of character and once again we passed the test.

Redditch came with a game plan. They played one up-front and packed their midfield making it difficult for us to break down.

We were guilty of some very poor defending and the attackers got us defenders out of jail.

Better defending and making better decisions could have stopped all their three goals.

Our goals were created from very good football from our attacking outfit and without them we would have lost that game.

Like the Solihull game we didn't play well but like that game we took all three points.

Again we were disappointed with not playing well but with the conditions and the way Redditch set their stalls out it was hard to break them down.

We now find ourselves 12th in the league, 5 points away from the relegation zone and won our fourth game in a row.

Things are looking good for us at the minute and we need to keep adding points on the board while we have this momentum.

There will come a time in the season where things aren't going that well for us but at the moment we look like a very good outfit.

Hopefully the game against Halifax will be played this week and we can try and put in a good performance and keep our winning run going.

Monday, November 30

Confidence is high and we fear no one. That's the message coming out of Throstle nest at the moment.

In terms of stature, Telford are arguably the biggest team in the league, with a great fan base and a big budget, but you would have been forgiven for thinking that we were the bigger team on Saturday's performance.

We have had to overcome some big obstacles this season at Farsley but no one would have predicted what would have happened on Saturday.

Losing Skiba in the first half could have killed the game for us as it could have given Telford the boost they needed to get a grip of the game.

If anything losing Skiba made us tighter defensively as a team knowing we had to protect our stand-in 'keeper Dave Syers.

Prior to losing Skiba the game was very open with each team having a go at both ends. We started the game really quickly, which is been a part of our game we have needed to improve on, and took a lead after 10 minutes.

Their equalizer was bizarre to say the least. A decision change from our 'keeper ended with the ball in our net. The odd thing about the gaol was it started in our 'keepers hands and ended in our goal with nobody but him touching it.

The equalizer left everyone a bit puzzled but we regrouped and carried on going. With half-time approaching, our former striker Damien Reeves collided with Skiba which lead to him being substituted.

We all had faith in Syers ability as a goalkeeper so we didn't see him going in net as a problem yet we knew we would have to limit the shots and crosses from the opposition.

The second half was surprisingly straight forward. That is in no way disrespectful to Telford but we upped our game and they couldn't handle us. We reduced them to one shot and that was a penalty, which I might add was saved by our 'goalkeeper'.

As I said we really fear no one. With the way we are playing we just want the games to come quickly. We firmly believe we can beat any one in this league.

We have a game Tuesday against Halifax which should be good for the fans as it's a derby and we can go and express ourselves again knowing that it's a cup match.



Monday, November 23

We went into this game expecting a tough game against an inform team. What we got was a comfortable win and a ticket to the next round.

We know all about Droylsden and how they play football in the right manner by passing the ball.

What they didn't know is that we are also a good football side and we showed we could match their passing and surpass them.

We were told before the game to 'out-football' them and we definitely did that.

They had the better first 20 minutes as they came fast out of the traps but once we weathered that storm we took control of the game.

The first goal was more than we deserved. We created more chances and looked solid at the back.

Their equaliser, albeit a brilliant goal, was a body blow.

To lose the lead on the stroke of half time could have taken the wind out of our sail but we regrouped and knew if we carried on playing the way we had then we had enough quality in our team to get the win.

We started the second half quickly and regained the lead within seconds. To then extend our lead to 3-1 was what we deserved for the way we started the 2nd half.

Droylsden brought the game back to 3-2 after I gave away a penalty but we looked as though we could have stepped through the gears at any time and get another goal.

Which is exactly what we did and the next two goals settled the tie for us.

Every man from 1 to 16 gave everything and we got our rewards.

Our attacking players again put fear into the opposition and our defence looked solid even though we lost Mark Jackson in the first half.

Going through to the next round not only pleases the players and staff but the prize money benefits the club massively.

We will now wait and see who we are pitted against in the next round.

Monday, November 16

We wanted the win. We needed the win. We got the win.

We have set ourselves high standards with our performances in the last two weeks. Both weeks produced good performances but no result, this week we didn't play to the level set, yet got the three points, something we are not too worried about.

If it means playing poorly and getting three points every week then we will take that. Solihull deserved something out of the game but we have deserved something from a lot of games we have played this season.

We knew we needed something out of the game on Saturday, we have to beat the teams around us if we have any chance of staying in this league and we knew the incentive that we would leap above Solihull if we won.

They say the sign of a good team is to win when not playing well and that's what we did. We know our performance wasn't great but the fact that we got three points is more important.

We are now 16th in the league with 18 matches gone. If you had offered that to us at the start of the season we would have bitten your hands off.

We are going in the right direction and we know we can play better then we did on Saturday and strangely enough it was a good feeling going into the dressing room after picking up three points and still being disappointed.

They are the standards we have set ourselves but if you ask any of the boys, would they rather play poorly and win or play well and lose I don't think one of them would say the latter.

We have a tough game at the weekend against Droylsden but its in the FA Trophy so we can take the pressure of ourselves a little bit and test ourselves against one of the better teams in our league.





Monday, November 9

We were punished for a poor first half on Saturday. We could and maybe should of got something out of the game after our second half performance but our below par first half cost us the game.

We didn't defend the slope of the pitch well at all in the first interval and Eastwood deservedly led going into the half time break.

We were asked for a reaction by the gaffer during the team talk and we played much better in the second half and had enough chances to draw the game at the very least.

The slope on the pitch played a massive factor in the game as we knew it would. If we would have kept it tight in the first half when playing uphill we would have won the game.

In fairness to Eastwood they played the slope better then us. They were fortunate at times and we should have had a penalty but at the end of the day they got the three points.

Our last two games have been against opposition that are at the top end of the table and we have lost by the odd goal in both games. We have not been disgraced by any stretch of the imagination in either of the games which shows we are within touching distance of those teams.

At this moment in time it is important for us to beat the teams that are in and around us and Saturday's game against Solihull is one we need to get something out of.

If we play with the same intensity that we did in the second half at Eastwood then I believe we have too much quality in our dressing room for Solihull to deal with.

We know what sort of game to expect on Saturday and it may not be one for the fans but whether we grind out a 1-0 win or win by a more comfortable margin we are not picky we just want then win.



Monday, November 2

An unfortunate loss on Saturday brought our five game unbeaten run to an end.

Not that we are too disheartened about the loss, we put up a great fight against an in form team who are in the play off positions in the league.

We feel a draw would have been a fair reflection on the game as both teams had plenty of chances in what was a free flowing entertaining game.

It's never nice to lose and as a player it is one part of the game you can never get used to but the manor in which we played and the effort we put in then we have to take the loss on the chin and move on.

With five minutes to go Corby ran the ball in the corners and tried to run down time which showed how much of a game we gave them and how grateful they was to gain a win when they didn't particularly deserve it. That's testimony to how we played.

Yes we are disappointed to lose but we put a good account for ourselves and Corby won't want to be playing us again in a hurry.

Corby have a wealth of experience in their team and that was proved when they have a player like Jason Lee on the bench ready to come on so to test them the way we did shows that we are close to the top teams in this league.

We have another test at the weekend against Eastwood who will be looking for an instant response to their 5-1 defeat against Southport but we don't fear anyone and believe we can get a result any where we play.

Eastwood have a nice stadium and a pitch that is made to play football on so we should benefit from that and give them a good game.


Wednesday, October 28

Graft, grit, determination, hard work and teamwork. Five attributes we now have in abundance at Farsley Celtic.

To travel four hours up to Workington, arrive at the ground late, go two goals behind and still come home with a draw is very, very pleasing.

The last two games have showed what characters we now have in the team. We have scored in the last minutes of both games to get two great results.

Last year we would have come home with nothing from that game and probably have been on the end of a drubbing.

There is always a turning point in a game and them missing a guilt edge chance to go 3-0 up proved to be that point. After that chance we went straight up the field and scored our first.

Workington then looked rocked and we capitalised on that and after some great play down the right, Lee Ellington did what he does best and bagged the equaliser.

We possibly didn't deserve the draw on a football performance but for sheer determination and never giving up with the belief that we could still get something from the game we deserved to get something.

It's a very tough place to go to and a lot of clubs will go to Workington and get beat so to take a point home and extend our unbeaten record to 5 games is satisfying to say the least.

We now have a tough home game against high-flying Corby on Saturday and if we apply ourselves like we have all season then we can get something out of the game.

Monday, October 26

What a feeling it is looking at the table and seeing us out of the relegation zone. Just being off the bottom spot would have been nice to see but to see us leap six places is hugely satisfying.

Saturday's game wasn't the prettiest and it certainly wasn't a game for the fans but to win 1-0 and to do so by not playing particularly well is even more pleasing.

We didn't click into our normal rhythm and our decision making at times wasn't the greatest but we never settled for the point and battled to the end to gain all three.

Vauxhall were a very resilient side and made it difficult for us to play our normal game but we more then matched them with our effort and work rate and got the rewards in the final minutes of the match.

I don't know the last time a Farsley Celtic team won four games so to do so makes it that little but more special.

Beating Vauxhall takes the pressure off Workington on Tuesday night.

If we would have lost the Vauxhall game we would have needed to get something from Tuesdays game and to travel all that way and play with added pressure is never easy.

We can now go to Workington and enjoy the game and try and extend our winning run to five games.

On another note I would like to pass my congratulations on to our youth team who have progressed to the first round of the FA Youth Cup. They now have the opportunity to match themselves against Tranmere Rovers and enjoy a night at Prenton Park.


****

Monday, October 19

What a massive result that was for us. After a long trip down to Redditch and, having to come to terms with their pitch, taking all three points and claiming three wins on the trot is a great achievement.

We started the game slowly and Redditch was on top for the first ten minutes grabbing a goal in that time. After that we were shocked into action and took control of the game.

We quickly got to grips with the poor pitch and sussed out their route one tactics early doors and after their goal never looked liked losing the game.

Our equaliser was a great solo goal and our second wouldn't have looked out of place in a few leagues above us.

We went to Redditch knowing that a win would take us to a point behind them and put pressure on everyone else around us.

To go into next Saturday's game against Vauxhall Motors knowing that a win can lift us right out of the relegation zone is a huge incentive.

Vauxhall's confidence will also be high after beating Eastwood Town so we know we have to carry on playing the way we are to get the three points we want.

We are enjoying our football at the minute and the longer that continues the more points we will pick up. We strongly believe we can pick up two more wins from the next two games and put ourselves in a great position in the table.

Monday, October 5

The battle of the comeback kings swung massively in our favour on Saturday. We knew exactly the feelings of the Hyde players on Saturday after going through the same ourselves.

Relief just to be playing let alone anything else will have been the thought on most of the Hyde player's minds.

We were also relieved to be playing as we needed to back up our league win against Southport with another good result and that's just what we did.

Playing in horrible conditions, the worst I've ever played in at Throstle Nest, it could have been a scrappy affair and luck could have played a big part in the game.

As it were we controlled the game from start to finish. We simply dealt with the conditions better. Maybe because we have had to deal with the wind before or the Hyde players heads were on other things that they could have been doing that Saturday.

Either way we totally dominated the game. To take a lead in the first half when we were playing against the wind gave us a great platform to go on and win the game.

The second period was a lot more straight forward and we were penned in their half for the full 45 minutes.

We have signalled October as a big month for us. With the games that are coming up we believe we can pick up a lot of points and Hyde was a game we wanted three points from.

We now have another break before the away trip to Redditch which is another game we will be looking to take maximum points from.




Tuesday, September 29

Coming back from holiday I was hoping to come back to a positive result from the FA Cup game against Fleetwood but unfortunately that wasn't to be.

Despite losing the game it sounds like we gave a good account of ourselves. We would have hoped for a decent cup run but after finding out we were drawn against Fleetwood we knew it would be a tough task.

The cup game is kind of a free game as our main aim is to stay in the league so the result doesn't affect us as much as a loss in the league would.

Hopefully Hyde United can find a way of survive the winding up order against them and we can play the game on Saturday.

We can more then sympathise with the position Hyde find themselves in and wish them all the best in trying to keep the club afloat.

Monday, September 21

What a difference a week makes in football. After last weeks lows against Hinckley to have a response like that and win against one of the stronger sides in the league is unbelievable.

The score line doesn't do us justice. We bossed the game and a result of 3-1 or even possibly 4-1 would have been a better reflection on the game.

To win the game is one thing, to come from behind is even better. After their first goal went in we didn't let our heads drop. We kept battling and had the belief that there was a result in the game for us.

The second half we have totally controlled the game and like I said could have won by a bigger margin.

People wouldn't have expected us to go to Southport and get a result so I suppose the pressure was off us in that sense, however, after last week we put a bit of pressure on ourselves to show that we are better then what we showed.

Next week is the FA cup so we have a breather from the league but after putting our first points on the board we would much rather a league game to come next.

We have shown in the Southport game what we are capable of and now we are into positive points we have to gather momentum and put pressure on the teams above us.


Monday, September 14

Well the least said about Saturday the better. From a personal view I think I endured the worst 45 minutes of my short career.

We were poor. The first 20 minutes we created chances and had corner after corner but after their first goal went in we gave in and they deserved to be 4-0 up in the first half if not more.

The second half the lads put in a decent account of themselves but by that point the damage was done and Hinckley had taken their foot off the gas.

Too many of us had a bad day on Saturday and that can't happen again. It cannot get any worse then that performance on a personal view and a team view so we can only get better.

We need to refocus ourselves and make sure that sort of performance never happens again.

Saturday hurt from a personal view and as I'm sure it did with the rest of the boys.

I for one want to put the game to the back of my mind, get a good week of training under my belt and go again Saturday against Southport.

Southport will be another tough test and if we don't turn up we will get rolled over again.

We know we disappointed the fans who had travelled the long distance to support us, we disappointed Pars and most of all we disappointed ourselves.

We will be trying everything in our power to make sure it doesn't happen again.

****


Wednesday, September 9

Sometimes in football you have to hold your hands up and say the better team beat you and last night Fleetwood were the better side.

With a budget that Fleetwood have then it is no wonder they are one of the favourites to get promoted from this league.

They have spent big and we expected a tough game.

That said we cannot give a side like that a two-goal head start.

We gave ourselves a mountain to climb with our start to the game and once they got their lead they looked comfortable and we never really troubled them.

We have now conceded 17 goals in 9 games, which simply is not good enough. Defending is one part of our game we need to improve, as we can't keep conceding two goals a game and expect to win games.

We now need to start putting points on the board so we don't lose sight of the teams ahead of us.

We have two difficult away games coming up against Hinckley and Southport but we need to pick up something from at least one of those games.

We have lost 3 on the bounce now and losing is a habit to have.

Saturday's game at Hinckley is a big game and we must stop the rot if we are to progress.

****


Monday, September 7

Well where to start. Before I pass my views on what happened on the pitch I first want to show my thanks.

Firstly a massive thank you to Mr John Palmer and his family. Without them we would not have a Farsley Celtic let alone a match to report on.

I personally, like every one else I'd imagine, have the utmost respect for Mr Palmer after everything he has done for the club.

Farsley runs through his blood and there is no one better suited or more welcomed to run the club than him and his family.

The player's, staff and supporters cannot say a big enough thank you to Mr Palmer.

Another thank you is to both sets of fans on Saturday. After all that has gone on this week and with the game being on one minute then postponed the next to be back on again, it could have been easy for them not to turn up.

To see over 400 come through the turnstiles was a massive boost for the players and it is little things like this that will spur us on when we are out there on the pitch.

Right, now that I'm starting to sound like I've written an Oscar ceremony speech I will now turn my views to the events on the pitch.

My column is not here to criticize referees but some of the decisions on Saturday were bizarre at best.

The sending off in the second half killed us and totally knocked the momentum out of our play.

Leading up to the sending off we were bossing the game and I have no doubt believing if we keep 11 men on the field we go onto win that game.

One thing we cannot blame the referee for was our first half performance.

We weren't good enough. We were sloppy all over the field and deserved to go a goal behind but once again we showed character and belief and got ourselves back into the game with a good goal.

Despite going down a man in the second half we battled until the end and created chances.

Even though we lost the game the fact that we were playing as a team again was a relief. Now hopefully the future of the club is stable and we can get back to doing what we are trying to achieve and stay in the league.

****




****

Tuesday, September 1

To lose 1-0 in that game is bitterly disappointing. We outplayed Ilkeston in every position on the field and not to get any points at the end of the game is hard to stomach.

After their fortuitous first goal we were camped in their half for the majority of the game. We have created chances and defended well yet still lost the game.

We will play a lot worse then that during the season and win games but today was just one of those days. Whatever we threw at Ilkeston just did not fall right for us.

We have to try and forget about the result from today's game and take the performance into the next game with us.

Teams above us in the league are still within reach and if we go on another unbeaten run we will soon catch them and start moving upwards in the table.

With more performances like the one today we will win more games then we will lose and that stands us in good stead to beat relegation.

We go again on Saturday against Stalybridge and try to pick up three points against them and put some points on the board.

Sunday, August 30

We are absolutely delighted to have reached ground zero. To have achieved what we have in six games is a testament to the hard work we have all put in to get to this stage.

To beat Gainsborough 4-1 shows how far we have come as a team in such a short period of time.

After a battling first half performance playing against the wind, to start the second half 1-0 up was a big confidence boost for us.

Gainsborough battled to get an equaliser and drew level at 1-1. For us to then start again and get a 4-1 win is very pleasing. Last year in that situation we may have crumbled and lost the game but we have a different mentality this year and believe we can win every time we go onto the pitch.

We looked a lot better defensively and with the attacking options we have in the team we will rarely find it hard to score.

To look at the league table and see that we are only 4 points behind Gainsborough, who currently occupy 18th place, is very encouraging and gives the players confidence that we can more then survive this season.

Tomorrow's game at Ilkeston will be a tough test but we are confident we can go down there and stretch our unbeaten run to five and get another three points.

Now we have reached zero points our season starts on Monday and we can now play without the pressure of minus points and carry on enjoying our football.

****


Monday, August 24

A game of two halves is the old cliché and Saturday's game at Stafford was definitely that.

Stafford had the better of the first half and probably deserved their lead going into half time.

We still felt we were causing them problems going forward and that there was still something we could get out of the game.

We knew we needed to lift our game in the second half and get tighter defensively.

The second half we were penned in their half for the majority of the game and how we have only come away from the game with just a point is something we are still struggling to work out.

We created enough chances in the second half to win two games let alone this one and Stafford's goalkeeper has made three great saves to deny us and keep his side in the game.

Even though we feel we could have won the game, going to Stafford and getting a point is still a good result.

It leaves us on minus 3 points with the chance to get to zero on Saturday against Gainsborough.

Seven points from a possible nine in the last three games is a positive start and if we keep battling and put in another performance like the second half against Stafford then we have every chance of picking up three points on Saturday.

To go into September eradicating our minus points would be a great achievement and gives us a lot of games to start working our way up the table.


Wednesday, August 19

I'm absolutely delighted with Tuesday night's match.

Another three points on the board and a great performance over the full 90 minutes.

We have finally shaken off the 45 minute voodoo and put in a performance for the full game and in return got a result.

The game was tight going into the interval with both teams shading different parts of the game. But we created the better chances in the first half and felt if we sustained enough pressure then the game was there for the taking.

The defence had something to prove going into the game after conceding eight goals in the previous three games and as a back five we looked a much stronger unit.

We did concede through an unfortunate mistake but other than that we dealt with their threats much better.

We believe that we have goals in our team with the front two and the midfield four so the onus was on us at the back to produce a performance.

When they scored their equaliser it could be forgiven if we all thought 'here we go again' but we showed the same character that got us the win on Saturday and kept the pressure on Blyth in search for the win.

That sort of character and the hard work we put in together as a team will stand us in good stead for the rest of the season.

We have produced back to back wins and winning is a good habit to get ourselves into. If we produce these sorts of performances for the duration of the season we will be well on target for where we want to finish.

Stafford on Saturday is another winnable game and we will be making the trip to Staffordshire looking for all three points.

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Monday August 17

It's not often you come away from a game with three points and still be disappointed, but Saturday's game at Gloucester was just that.

Hopefully what I am about to say will not become a regular feature of this column, but the story is the same as our two previous games.

First half we cruised into a 3-0 lead and looked comfortable. Second half we became a totally different team.

Going into the half time interval the three points were all but ours.

All we had to do was make sure we defended well and see out the remainder of the game.

In my three years at Farsley I have always noticed we like to do things the hard way and this game was no different. Credit to Gloucester for pulling the game back but we gifted them their goals.

After being 3-0 up the thought of a four hour journey back to Yorkshire with only a draw would have been hard to deal with.

But once again Simeon (Bambrook) came up with the goods to save our blushes.

So a 4-3 win gave us maximum points and on our way to changing our minus points into plus ones.

Tuesday's game against Blyth is another we will be looking to take all three points from and start to put pressure on the teams above us and carry on going in the right direction.

Bring on Tuesday.

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Friday, August 14

Hi, my name is Ryan Serrant.

I play left back for Farsley Celtic and I'm coming into my third season with the club.

The aim of this new column will be to give my view into the life of a semi-professional footballer and give a pitch side view on Farsley Celtic.

We are all aware of the problems Farsley face. After a turmoil close season, to start the league is a relief albeit starting on -10. A negative we need to turn into a positive as soon as possible.

With a host of new players, pre season was a time not only needed to regain our fitness but to gel together as a team. We felt on a whole we had a decent pre-season and are all raring to go for the new campaign.

Unfortunately our two opening games have brought disappointing results but we are taking the positives from them.

Against Alfreton Town, who are more than likely going to be promotion contenders, we put in a good account of ourselves for the first 45 minutes.

Same story against relegated Northwich Victoria.

Games, however last for 90 minutes and we need to make sure we compete for the full game if we are going to be where we want to be at the end of the season.

As a team we know it is going to take a lot of hard work on the training field and in matches but we're prepared to do whatever it takes.

Hopefully we can scratch off some of the deficit against Gloucester on Saturday and start making our way up the table.

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