Harrogate Town 1, Farsley Celtic 0

Missed opportunities and a frustrating catalogue of nearlys and almosts contrived to leave Farsley Celtic on the end of a Blue Square North defeat by the most minute of margins at Harrogate Town today.

The only positive they can take from the game is that the rematch is on New Year's Day and the Celts will have home advantage. That is one thing that Farsley boss Neil Parsley will focus on.

“It was a tight game. Each team dominated little pockets of the play without going on to control long periods of the game,” said Parsley.

“We played some good stuff at times and more than matched Harrogate. But when one team got on top, the other counter-attacked.

"I’m just disappointed that we couldn’t equalise when we were having the best of it.

“In the last quarter hour of the first half and for the first 20 minutes of the second half it looked like we would level, and if we did my money would have been on us going on to win it.

“Overall the least we deserved was a point, I honestly thought we could have won it and the players felt the same. But, with the quick turnaround, I hope that helps us get revenge next Thursday.”

The game’s only goal came just after the half-hour when Town striker Richard Marshall got the better of two defenders.

He rounded Jamie Price, pushed the ball past James Knowles and then sprinted through to lash a shot into the top corner.

Stephen Downes was on the end of the best two openings the Celts had.

Jake Speight did the work before threading a pass to the forward in the 37th minute but his shot was saved.

Right on the stroke of half-time, Downes hit a shot from yards outside the area that was on target but Town’s keeper palmed it onto the post and it ran for a corner.