Farsley reflect on one that got away (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Farsley reflect on one that got away

6:30pm Friday 15th March 2013 in Sport By Ian Whiting

Neil Parsley has accepted that his Farsley side’s promotion play-off hopes are dead in the water but feels he can pinpoint the exact time when they expired.

Farsley were in fine form in December and although they endured an indifferent January, with three draws and two postponements, they ended the month with a win and followed it up with another on the first Saturday of February that lifted them to fifth in Evo-Stik League One North, the final play-off place.

Parsley said: “Considering where we were at the end of January, it is very disappointing that our aims of a second promotion play-off on the spin is over.

“I don’t just think that the ship has sailed, I think the lifeboat has been cut adrift. The chance has gone now, so we will focus on the League Cup and just finishing as high as we can in the league.”

Farsley had done some good business in the week leading up to last Saturday’s trip to Radcliffe Borough. They landed Matty James on a short-term deal from Bradford Park Avenue to play alongside Rob O’Brien, who is also on loan from Horsfall.

Parsley said: “I’m grateful to John Deacey and Park Avenue for letting us have the players. They are both used to playing at a higher level and although they lack match fitness, they are quality players.

“But our problems are not in midfield or even up front. We have struggled in defence because we have been down in numbers.

“It goes back to when we started slipping down the league. We lost Jacko (assistant player-manager Mark Jackson) to an ankle injury, lost Aaron Hardy to Guiseley, James Riley has missed games with a hamstring injury and Matt Dempsey was ill last weekend.

“I have tried to bring players in and thought I had one from Halifax Town. The deal was all agreed and then Halifax had an injury to another player, so our target had to stay with them.

“But our campaign isn’t over. We still have a cup run going and we want to keep pressure on the clubs above and around us so that we can set a marker down for next season.”

Farsley are in the quarter-finals of the Evo-Stik League Cup (sponsored by Doodson Sports) and, having beaten two Premier Division clubs, they are looking forward to another clash against a top-flight club. They travel to Matlock Town on Tuesday.