Farsley 0 Southport 3: How depleted Farsley crashed out of the FA Trophy

Boss Neil Ross admitted their chances of success were severely hampered in the build-up to the game because of the rising number of positive Covid test results.

The visitors forged ahead when Jordan Archer rounded goalkeeper Tom Donaghy and rolled the ball in with 24 minutes on the clock.

Jack Doyle then rattled the bar with a long-range free-kick just past the half-hour mark and, after the referee decided on a five-minute, half-time interval due to concerns over the worsening foggy conditions, Southport wrapped up a deserved win.

Niall Watson converted a 56th-minute penalty after he had been hacked down by Tyler Walton and, midway through the half, Douglas Thame settled matters after Jordan Richards had cleared an initial effort off the line.

A miserable afternoon for Farsley was compounded when Tom Allan was sent off for a second bookable offence on 80 minutes.

Celts’ boss Ross was forced to bring in a number of Under-23 players to his line-up on the day of the game as preparations were thrown into disarray.

“By 12pm on the day of the game we only had eight players,” said Ross. “So credit to the young lads that came in at the last minute, they’ve gone out there with great attitude.

“We can’t fault any of the players for what they did today.

“The preparations were an absolute nightmare. It was one Covid after another, after another.

“We knew earlier in the week with a couple of them but three or four more over the last couple of days put us in a place where we had to literally bring in Under-23 players who have come in and done a job for us.

“We just told the new boys to go out, play football and as long as they work hard - which they did - we can’t ask for any more. But it’s good experience for them, good experience for them to step up.”

Elsewhere, Mark Beck was York City’s match-winner for a second successive round as the two-time FA Trophy winners progressed to the last 32 of this season’s competition.

The on-loan Harrogate Town striker grabbed the only goal of the game to see off hosts Matlock Town, as he had in the Minstermen’s previous tie at Blyth Spartans.

Beck, 27, left it late, however, in Derbyshire, finding the net in the second minute of stoppage time when a penalty shoot-out looked set to decide the contest.

The win was the third in six matches under new manager John Askey and that trio of triumphs have all been by a 1-0 margin.

In a scrappy encounter, defender Josh King thought he had made the breakthrough in the 87th minute but his effort was ruled out for offside after a contentious decision by the officials

Beck went on to climb highest to meet Scott Barrow’s lofted free-kick and headed the ball over goalkeeper Sam Ogden for his sixth goal of the season.

Bradford Park Avenue entertain FC Halifax Town tomorrow night after Saturday’s encounter was postponed due to fog.