Unbeaten run ends as Farsley Celtic ‘shoot themselves in the foot’ at Alfreton Town

ADAM LAKELAND said his Farsley Celtic players only had themselves to blame after seeing their promising three-game unbeaten run come to an end at National League North rivals Alfreton Town.

James Jones had given the hosts the advantage in the 16th minute, but Adam Clayton restored parity just two minutes later.

However, the visitors found themselves two goals adrift at the break after Elliott Reeves restored the home side’s advantage in the 23rd minute, with the killer blow coming on the stroke of half-time when Jake Day made it 3-1, which is how it stayed.

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After the defeat, a frustrated Lakeland, who saw his team drop to 16th, criticised his team’s first-half performance which gave them too much to do after the break.

“We were much improved in the second half and threatened here and there to nick a goal and get back into the game,” said Lakeland.

“But we can’t really have any complaints, we deserved to lose the game based on our first-half display - the goals we’ve conceded were soft.

“If you dominate 90 minutes, in any game in this league, you’re going to win.

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“But it just doesn’t happen because every team poses a threat, every team poses a different challenge.

“And what you have to do during the times when you are not on top, is you have to be solid and resolute and have good concentration, good communication, but not give away soft goals.

“But when you do that you then give yourselves a real uphill battle and that’s what we did (against Alfreton).

“Unfortunately, it is the same old story and when you strip it down to basics we’re conceding some soft goals and we’re not taking our chances.”

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Jones put the hosts ahead when rising highest at a corner, only for Clayton to level within two minutes after he reacted quickest to a fumble by Town goalkeeper George Willis from a free-kick by Will Hayhurst.

Tyler Walton then forced a save from Willis, but the next strike came at the other end when Reeves was allowed to carry the ball from around the halfway line before working space for himself to fire home from just inside the box in the 23rd minute.

Walton again went close and the visitors were made to pay when, with half-time beckoning, Day fired home from 10 yards.

Farsley, with the slope to their advantage after the break, came close to reducing the deficit on a number of occasions, Jimmy Spencer and Walton going close, with Paddy Lane’s header at the far post disallowed for offside.

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Elsewhere, Guiseley’s game at Chester was called off with the hosts in isolation after a number of positive Covid-19 tests in their squad.

A second positive test of the season at York also means the Minstermen are back in isolation and could not travel to Kidderminster.

Bradford Park Avenue shared the spoils in an eight-goal thriller at top-of-the-table Gloucester City.

Avenue drew first blood when Lewis Knight curled in from 20 yards, but Gloucester were level by the quarter-hour mark through Akwasi Asante, going ahead two minutes later through Matt McClure’s header. The lead doubled five minutes later when Asante scored from the penalty spot.

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Jake Hibbs halved the deficit when he fired into the top corner in the 32nd minute, Harry Boyes’s 25-yard thunderbolt levelling matters just after the break.

The visitors then took the lead again when Clee fired home from the edge-of-the-box in the 52nd minute but, just past the hour, Bernard Mensah headed home to ensure the hosts remained unbeaten.

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