Farsley Celtic (1) 2
(Watson 4, Reeves 91)

North Ferriby United (0) 1
(Bradshaw 79)

(after extra time)

Date: May 6, 2006

Farsley Celtic: Cuss, Stabb, Pemberton, Shields, Crossley (Bambrook 33), Serrant, Krief, Iqbal, Sanasy (Knowles 75), Reeves, Watson (Stamer 91).

North Ferriby United: Pecora, Thompson (Lightowler 5, Conner 89), Gowen, Waltham, Allison, Morley, Wood, Bolder, Fothergill (Bradshaw 57), Wainman, Hotte.

Referee: A Halliday.

Attendance: 933.

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WHAT THE PAPERS SAID:

Wendy Walker, of the Yorkshire Evening Post, wrote:

Determined Celtic get justice at last

The pain won't go away but it will certainly have eased after Farsley Celtic reclaimed the place in Conference North which was stolen away 12
months ago.

An extra-time strike from Damian Reeves earned Farsley a 2-1 win over North Ferriby United in the UniBond League play-off final at Throstle Nest in front of a crowd of almost 1,000.

And no-one could deny Farsley their promotion, 12 months after they were stripped of the title and the step up by an unprecedented move by the Football Association and a failure to overturn it in the High Court.

Boss Lee Sinnott said: "I'm full of admiration for the whole squad, the way they have responded this season.

"Whether they have played two games or 42 games, everyone has done their bit.

"They have maintained the form of last year, pushed each other on and full credit to them.

"The pain hasn't gone away, it probably never will, but it does ease it.

"We wanted promotion out of this division as our number one aim this season. We had already won two cups and now our main objective has been achieved."

Farsley were dumped in the play-offs last season when the FA reinstated the incomplete record of Spennymoor United and instead handed three points to opponents in each of their nine unfulfilled fixtures.

They eventually lost on penalties at Workington in the final, and this game seemed to be heading that way on Saturday.

Farsley should have had the game wrapped up by half-time – Reeves, Andy Watson and substitute Simeon Bambrook carved out one opening after another.

But their only goal of the half came four minutes in when Domonic Krief chased a loose clearance down the right and crossed high to the far post where Watson, completely
unmarked, headed in.

Farsley looked solid at the back, with Carl Serrant, Chris Stabb and Martin Pemberton limiting Ferriby's Leon Wainman to two half-chances, which went straight into the arms of
keeper Paul Cuss.

Even when Ryan Crossley, who suffered a severe cut when he banged his head as he ran out of the tunnel for the warm-up, left the field for eight minutes' of treatment, Ferriby still got no joy from the Celtic rearguard.

The heavily bandaged Crossley finally succumbed to the injury after 33 minutes, Bambrook coming on as Celtic reverted to three at the back.

But Ferriby still had no joy until their own substitute, on-loan Gary Bradshaw, entered the fray just before the hour mark.

Bradshaw, signed by Football League outfit Cheltenham in October, received only one half-chance but that's all he needed as he crashed a dipping volley into the far corner of Celtic's net from fully 25 yards out in the 79th minute.

But Celtic, roared on by a vociferous crowd whichincluded a large contingent of Leeds United supporters, then dominated the extra half-hour and they got their just reward.

Straight from the kick-off for the second period, Reeves went on a run straight down the middle, holding off a couple of challenges, and just managed to toe-poke the ball past on-rushing keeper Antoni Pecora to see off the hovering threat of another penalty shootout.

Sinnott said: "On Friday and Saturday morning I was full of confidence, and that wasn't being disrespectful to Ferriby. I was just confident in what my players were capable of.

"As the game progressed, I always felt a bit vulnerable at 1-0, when we weren't taking our chances.

"But at the end of the day the players have dragged themselves over the finishing line."