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Farsley Celtic 1 Halifax Town 3: Shaymen too strong for Celts
TOWN'S impressive pre-season continued as they proved too good for Blue Square north Farsley Celtic.
James Dean bagged his third goal in four games with Richard Marshall and Paul Sykes also on target as the Shaymen had too much for their hosts.
And what made their latest win even more impressive as that it was achieved as manager Neil Aspin experimented with his formation.
The Shay boss went 4-3-3, with Sykes operating in midfield in the first half and wide men Mark Whitehouse and Mark Peers supporting Dean.
And while the side was never at its fluent best, it was good to see Plan B being tested out before the real business gets underway.
Sykes got forward well from the middle of the park and had an early chance to break through, but his left foot effort after five minutes was blocked by a defender.
And when Whitehouse whipped in a free kick from the left after Aaron Hardy had been brought down, Payne - on the stretch - poked it wide.
Dean's snap shot, after good build up play involving Tom Baker and Whitehouse, ended up in the side netting.
But it was not until the 28th minute that Farsley showed any attacking intent, Liam Shepherd testing Jonathan Hedge from distance with the Town keeper getting down to his left to save.
Dean headed a Baker corner wide soon after and Whitehouse was unlucky that no one gambled to get on the end of a superb cross from the left as Town continued to dominate.
Having been on the back foot for much of the opening half, Farsley were gifted a chance to go in front five minutes before the break when Hedge mis-hit a clearance straight to Tom Woolard, but he slid his shot past the post.
And the Shaymen finished a goalless half well, Sykes's downward header bouncing into the ground and over the bar before Scott Phelan's shot was deflected off target. Dave Syers headed over in the third minute of the second half for a Farsley side showing 11 changes to the side that started the game.
But it was Halifax who broke the deadlock after 50 minute from a Baker corner on the left.
The ball was initially headed down by Dean, who then swiped at it with his foot before finally, at the third attempt, forcing it over the line.
Phelan and Dean were denied by a decent double save from the home keeper while trialist Luke Morgan's shot was blocked by a defender.
But Farsley levelled just before the hour when Lee Ellington latched onto a ball through the middle and fired past Hedge, although Sykes might have cleared but for a bad bounce off the poor Throstle Nest surface.
Marshall had an effort deflected wide and the keeper beat Nicky Gray to a Baker corner before Town regained the lead in the 67th minute.
Again it was a set piece that did the damage, with Baker's free kick being nodded down by Dean and Marshall firing home.
Ellington fired wide for Farsley before the Shaymen bagged their third with 15 minutes remaining, Sykes getting a touch on a Baker corner to make it 3-1.
And Baker might have scored himself in the closing stages but his left footed effort from 25 yards was well saved.
Farsley Celtic: first half - Sayner, Pickering, Serrant, Evans, Radcliffe, Libbard, Cartman, Bambrook, Grant, Woolard, Shepherd. Seconf half - Barkham, Mycoe, Waterfield, Syers, M Jackson, T Jackson, Lye, Young, Ellington, Connor, Droiscoll.
FC Halifax Town: Hedge, Hardy, Lowe, Payne (Morgan (Sugden), Crossley, Sykes, Peers (Gray), Phelan, Baker, Dean (Hotte), Whitehouse (Marshall). Subs (not used): Senior, Hinsley.
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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