November 30, 2024
Today’s Saturday afternoon entertainment was the National League North match between Oxford City and Farsley Celtic, whereby 21st played host to 19th, with both sides desperate for the three points. It would be the first ever meeting between the two sides.
Oxford City Update
Since these diaries covered Oxford City’s 5-0 victory over Sporting Khalsa in the FA Trophy they have lost three consecutive league games to fall back into the relegation zone. A 1-2 home defeat to Alfreton Town was followed by a 1-2 defeat at Buxton and 1-3 at Chester.
The Hoops now had the worst defence in the league with 36 goals conceded, and the third worst home record at 1-4-4.
Farsley Celtic Background
Farsley is a village in West Yorkshire located seven miles west of the centre of Leeds. Its football club were founded in 1907 but folded in 2010 and they were expelled from Conference North. A reformed side entered the Northern Counties East League Premier Division and after two promotions they won the Northern Premier League Premier Division in 2018/19 to return to National League North. The club’s Twitter accounts describes Farsley as the “highest ranked village club in England” !
Celtic have struggled at step 6 and in the last three seasons have finished one place above relegation each time. Last season they finished in 20th place, three points clear of Blyth Spartans.
Farsley Celtic This Season
Farsley decided to dig up their pitch in the summer and install a 4G pitch at their Citadel stadium. However, delays arose which led to their first four home games being reversed, so Celtic started the season with eight consecutive away matches.
Technical problems and the availability of contractors led to further delays to the installation of the new pitch so Farsley were forced to hire venues to host their home games, with games being played at Alfreton, Guiseley and Bradford Park Avenue before it was announced that home games for the rest of 2024 would be played in Derbyshire at Buxton. With supporters facing a return journey of almost 140 miles this caused significant unrest amongst Celtic fans, with talk of a boycott.
Farsley’s first “home” match in Buxton was last Tuesday night, where ironically, they were late in arriving after traffic delays on the M62. It’s not often the away side are left waiting for the home side to turn up ! The game against Chorley eventually started thirty minutes late, and Celtic fell to a 0-1 defeat.
Given the circumstances to their season, Farley could be considered to be doing pretty well. They won four and drew two of their opening nine away matches, taking maximum points from Rushall Olympic, Marine, Warrington Town and Needham Market and drawing at Southport and Chester. However, in their most recent five away games they had lost four, with just one win, at Kings Lynn. Nevertheless, a 5-2-7 away record is not too shabby.
On the other hand, from the five “home” matches played, only one win had been recorded, over Peterborough Sports, and four defeats incurred.
In the FA Cup, Farsley progressed with wins at Hallam FC ( 3-1 ) and Wythenshawe Town ( 1-0 ) before being eliminated by step 3 Kettering Town ( 1-2 ) in a tie played at Guiseley.
Prior to the game against Chorley, for which the attendance is yet to be published, the average home attendance was a mere 167, by some distance the lowest in the division. Last season it was 655……..
Farsley Celtic Squad
As the Farsley squad contains Branson and Pickles, Oxford City players would be well advised not to be sandwiched by them !
Centre-back Aaron Pickles is on a short-term loan from Accrington Stanley whilst midfielder Conor Branson has previously played for Alfreton, Bradford Park Avenue and Altrincham.
Midfielder Ben Atkinson was the top scorer with 4 goals in league. Ex-Stockport County, Tranmere Rovers and Chester Jamaican forward Darren Stephenson and Danny Greenfield had found the net 3 times although Greenfield had recently left Farsley to join Radcliffe Borough.
Keeper Kieren Flavell on loan from Barnsley, left-back Bailey Sloane joined the club in the summer after being released by Accrington Stanley whilst full back Lewis Turner has played for Harrogate and Chester. Attacking midfielder Joao Silva has won 2 caps for Sao Tome and Principe.
Centre-back Isaac Abankwah had played against Celtic early in the season for Wythenshawe Town in the FA Cup. During the week, defender Connor Ferguson signed on a one-month loan from Leeds United but too recently to have his name printed on the back of his shirt !
Matchday Information
The distance from Farsley to Oxford is 185 miles and should normally take around three and a half hours via the M1, M69 and M40. It looked like around 30 or so supporters had made the journey from Yorkshire.
Tickets for today’s match were reduced to just £5 or £1 for Under 16 and the programme was £3.50. A cup of tea was £2.20
The weather at the 15.00 kick-off was cloudy and grey with just an occasional patch of blue sky. The temperature was 13 degrees.
Bet365 made Oxford City 1/2 favourites, with Farsley at 15/4 and the draw at 10/3
Farsley made just one change from the side that lost at “home” to Chorley with Ferguson replacing Pickles. Oxford City made five changes from the side that started at Chester with McKenzie-Lyle, Stirling, Carbon, Fleet and Andrews replacing Macaulay, Burley, Walsh, Potter and Parker. Defender Aaron Drewe was wearing a face mask but if it was an attempt to hide his identity, the number on his shirt gave the game away !
Farsley Kit were wearing blue short-sleeved shirts, with green shorts and socks whereas Oxford City were in their usual blue and white hoops. The Farsley keeper was in a bright all pink outfit, perhaps in tribute to The Pink Panther
Match Report :
It took less than a minute for Farsley to win the first corner of the match when Turner’s cross was blocked, but the corner was overhit and went off harmlessly for a goal kick.
The Hoops won their first corner in the 5th minute but Fleet’s header beyond the far post went well wide.
Jayden Carbon showed great skill to get past Ferguson and Sloane by the right-hand touchline, but McEachran then spoilt the move with a wayward pass. However, Celtic’s respite only lasted a few moments as a chip forward from McEachran hit Ashby on the back and bounced kindly for Andrews to smash left-footed past the keeper from just inside the penalty area. 1-0 after 7 minutes
Oxford City were passing the ball nicely and after one flowing move, Scott’s shot from 20 yards was blocked by a defender.
The visitors created their first chance in the 10th minute when a cross from Turner reached Atkinson, but the header bounced a couple of yards wide.
Three minutes later Coyle’s free kick was headed back across the goal by Jones, but Celtic were able to clear. City regained possession and McEachran’s 20-yard effort was held by keeper Flavell at the second attempt.
There was then a delay as Atkinson was treated for an injury and when play resumed Ferguson’s free kick for Celtic was overhit and again the ball sailed off for an Oxford City goal kick.
Another flowing move from the home side saw McEachran’s back-heel find Ashby inside the left-hand side of the penalty area, but his fierce left-footed shot was pushed away by the Farsley keeper and then hoofed away from the goal.
Carbon was then put in space on the right and his low cross was met with a good sliding block by Ferguson to prevent Andrews from scoring. Coyle’s delivery from the corner bounced dangerously across the six-yard box with no-one on hand to apply the final touch. City reworked possession and Fleet set up Drewe, but the left-footed shot from the edge of the area flew over the stand.
Atkinson was unable to continue after his earlier injury, forcing Farsley into a substitution in the 21st minute.
Oxford City were dominating the game and the impressive Carbon won corner when his cross hit Ferguson. Coyle’s corner was headed clear by Stephenson back helping out his defence, but Coyle retrieved the ball and sent a deep cross for Jones to rise the highest, but his header drifted across the goal and narrowly wide.
Celtic’s Ryan Watson committed to a bad foul on Ashby and the referee played a good advantage as The Hoops surged forward, but when the move fizzled out the referee went back to Watson to show the first yellow card of the game.
Ashby recovered from the assault on him and got some revenge when his hopeful 25-yard effort took a deflection of Misambo, wrong footing the keeper with the ball going inside the opposite post. 2-0 with 32 minutes played.
Oxford City almost immediately shot themselves in the foot when Coyle’s terrible attempted back pass struck team-mate Jones, and the ball rolled to Stephenson who had a 1 on 1 with the keeper. With plenty of time, the forward decided to shoot first time from just outside the area, but his effort went well wide. It was a shocking finish and terrible football all round.
Carbon and Scott combined nicely but the move was thwarted by the linesman’s raised flag for offside as Carbon bore down on goal.
Branson tried his luck for Celtic from outside the area, but his effort hit two defenders and trickled through to McKenzie-Lyle.
McEachran ran clear down the left and his square pass teed up Fleet, but two sliding defenders managed to block the goal bound shot and the ball bounced wide of the post. From the subsequent corner the eagle-eyed referee spotted some misdemeanour by Andrews and the Oxford City forward was shown a yellow card.
Despite playing five at the back Farsley were having great difficulty in picking up Oxford City’s runners and Carbon was again put into a good position by Drewe, and his cross found Andrews, but his attempt to control on his chest saw the ball run far enough away from him for a Farsley defender to clear.
As the first half entered added on time, Stirling was clattered into by Misambo whilst jumping for a header and he landed awkwardly. Another lengthy injury delay resulted, and Stirling had to be helped off from the field with a suspected dislocated shoulder to end his involvement for the day.
Substitute Andre Burley should have scored with his first touch but with a free header from 6 yards he completely missed the ball.
At half-time Oxford City had fully deserved their two-goal lead. Farsley’s response to having been outplayed was to make three changes.
Oxford City again played themselves into trouble and Fleet took a yellow card for the team to prevent Farsley developing a promising attack. The home side were soon back on the attack though, and a move involving Burley and Andrews saw Carbon play a ball across the six-yard box. A minute later a superb cross from Coyle on the left reached Andrews, who failed to make a decent contact from 6 yards and a glorious chance was spurned.
Carbon then delivered another dangerous cross after an incisive pass from Ashby, and Hyde needed to put the ball out for a corner to prevent Coyle getting to the ball.
Misambo made a dreadful pass out from the back which McEachran pounced upon, and after receiving a give and go back from Coyle he poked the ball forward for Scott to run clear and confidently finish past the exposed keeper. 3-0 after 58 minutes.
Oxford City continued to have plenty of joy down their right-hand side and in the 66th minute Burley and Carbon again combined to give Ashby another shot at goal, but Flavell made another good save.
A minute later a super through ball from McEachran put Andrews clear but rather than shooting the forward decided to play an unselfish pass across the goal, but no teammate was up in support for the tap-in !
The visitors were soon punished again when McEachran collected possession just inside the Farsley half and went on a trademark run, going past several defenders before hammering past Flavell. 4-0 with 70 minutes on the clock.
Fielding was the next Farsley player to go into the book for a foul on Coyle.
With 10 minutes left to play, Burley sent a diving, glancing header just wide. At the other end Fielding had a long range shot blocked, before Coyle led a break for Oxford City but Parker was ruled to be offside when he received the cross from Andrews.
The home side came close to adding a 5th goal 6 minutes from time. Parker and Andrews combined to find Roddy on the left hand touchline and his ball into the Farsley area was controlled by Parker, but the shot from 8 yards was superbly blocked by Fielding putting his body on the line.
Parker then set up Ashby to fizz another ball across the face of the Celtic goal and with three added minutes to be played, some light drizzle started to fall.
A free kick from Fielding was volleyed into the side netting by Ferguson from a tight angle beyond the far post and with time just about up Farsley’s Hyde was found in space on the right, and his perfect cross was met by Pickles, who sent a smart header across goal into the far corner. The Celt Army at least has a consolation goal to enjoy on their long journey back home. 4-1 with 93 minutes played.
There was barely time for the restart. The three points took Oxford City out of the relegation zone as they moved up to 19th, one place above Farsley Celtic. The late goal meant Oxford City still had the worst defence record in the division, with one more goal conceded than Farsley Celtic. Despite their lowly position The Hoops were now the joint third highest scorers in the league.
Highlights : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aqb6lDa5kww
Oxford City : McKenzie-Lyle – Drewe ( Croker ), Jones, Stirling ( Burley ) – Carbon ( Walsh ), Fleet, Ashby, Scott ( Roddy ), Coyle – McEachran ( Parker ), Andrews
Farsley Celtic : Flavell – Turner ( Hyde ), Abankwah ( Pickles ), Misambo, Sloane, Ferguson –Atkinson ( Youmbi ), Watson ( Fielding ), Branson – Silva ( Sturridge ), Stephenson
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