If ever Farsley AFC needed to keep a clean sheet, it is on Saturday in a top-three clash at Curzon Ashton in Evo-Stik Division One North.

Farsley are third and trail their hosts, who have played one game fewer, by a huge eight points but a victory for Neil Parsley’s men would seriously underline their promotion credentials.

They will know their chances are slim at unbeaten Curzon but Farsley are renowned for rising to the challenge.

Following a 6-0 thumping of mid-table Salford City last week, Farsley’s spitits will be high and there were also no fresh injury concerns from that game, which was very welcome for Parsley.

The manager’s only absentees are the two suspended players. Both Josh Radcliffe and Dave Briggs picked up three-game bans for red cards in the same match recently.

Lee Connor is likely to return to the centre of defence to replace Radcliffe, while Parsley has several options in midfield and will mull over formations and personnel overnight after the final training session of the week tonight.

The only chink in Curzon’s armour so far this term is that the two points they have dropped from their opening ten were at home.

They have an unblemished away record but have been held to one stalemate in their own stadium, so Farsley will be putting as much pressure on the home side as possible in the hope that they might just crack.

Parsley backs his team to score goals anywhere and they have scored more than Curzon this season but he is also aware that defending is his side’s Achilles heel.