Farsley 1 Kendal Town 2
Farsley’s 14-game unbeaten run in Evo-Stik Division One North ground to a halt in front of their own crowd.
The home fans were a frustrated bunch as bogey side Kendal Town made it three wins from three meetings this season with a 2-1 victory.
Farsley’s frustrations were exacerbated from the 52nd minute onwards when Kendal visibly began running the clock down.
However, it remained an enthralling contest and Farsley were pushing desperately for an equaliser in the six minutes of stoppage time.
Kendal may have been delayed on their journey to Throstle Nest, getting to the ground later than planned, but they came out of the blocks quickly despite hurried preparations.
The visitors had Farsley on the back foot in the opening stages but Neil Parsley’s men gradually got into the game. From the midway point of the first period they appeared to have wrestled the initiative back.
Only one team looked like scoring in the final ten minutes of the half and just into time added on Aaron Hardy almost fired the home side into the lead. But from the resulting goal-kick, Kendal countered.
Farsley centre back Henry Owen chested the ball out for a throw-in but Kendal striker Maison McGeechan was alert and took it quickly. He found his forward partner Danny Mitchley and, although his first effort was parried by home keeper Tom Morgan, he drilled in the rebound.
The home side turned the tables on Kendal at the start of the second half by penning them in for a good spell. That sparked the time wasting tactics but, on one of their few forays forward, the visitors doubled their lead with 14 minutes remaining.
Once again Morgan was particularly unfortunate. Mitchley sent in a good shot but it was superbly saved but only by a one-handed parry and the loose ball was fired in on the angle by Callum Hoctor.
Farsley bounced back and substitute Danny Hull halved the deficit. He launched a flighted chip from the right flank which reached its intended target, the top corner of the net, leaving Kendal keeper Danny McDonald stranded.
They went close to beating McDonald again in the remaining seven minutes, with Matty Young firing just over after a corner had caused the Kendal defence all kinds of problems.
A free-kick from skipper Rob O’Brien flew just over the angle and a Lee Ellington half volley, from another O’Brien corner, was blocked in a packed area.
The time-wasting led to five minutes of time being added and continued offences meant that was stretched to seven but the visitors held out.
* Farsley are playing a friendly against the Army tomorrow night as the forces team gears up for the tri-series against the Air Force and Navy.
Neil Parsley intends to field his full first-team squad and use the game as a work-out, as the club aim to consolidate their place in the Evo-Stik Division One North play-off places following Saturday's defeat.
Farsley agreed to the friendly as assistant manager Simeon Bambrook is a former Army team-mate of their current manager.
Admission is £3 for adults and free for armed services personnel on production of their warrant card.
Many of the Army's squad have just returned from active duty in Afghanistan and they needed a friendly against quality opposition at short notice.
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