Evo-Stik Division One North: Farsley Celtic 4 New Mills 0

FARSLEY Celtic stretched their winning run to nine games with a straightforward victory over struggling New Mills after taking the initiative from the first whistle.

The Celts were two goals to the good after just three minutes, and a third midway through the first half ended the match as a contest.

Basement outfit New Mills were playing without pressure and put in a spirited second-half display, but they had no answers to Farsley’s thoroughly professional performance.

With more than half of the games in the division being victims of the continuing wet weather, Farsley were hoping to climb into the top half of the table for the first time this season.

But after Lancaster City’s 1-0 win over Harrogate Railway Athletic, the Celts moved up just one place to 12th.

Farsley boss Neil Parsley wasn’t perturbed by that, and said: “It would have been a bonus if we had reached the top half, but what is more important is that it was a good win and a great performance.

“No disrespect to New Mills but it was over in the first five minutes, and that was pleasing because we had talked about that before the game.

"We didn’t want to give them any encouragement, especially early on, and the early goals took it away from them.

“I thought we played well in what was always going to be a difficult game because we were expected to win.

"They came here without a point and we sent them away with still no points, and that was the aim.

“It’s been a difficult season for New Mills and, without taking anything away from them, we had to beat them.

"We did that and kept our run going, improving our goals for and the goals against remains the same. We really couldn’t have done any more.”

Farsley romped through the early stages and added all of their goals before the interval.

They controlled the game in the second half but the Millers battled well and could have spoiled the home side’s clean sheet.

The visitors had a few good chances in the latter stages as the game ended in torrential driving rain.

The surface was treacherous but Parsley felt the conditions were not a factor and was satisfied that his players had maintained their work rate.

He added: “They did have a couple of efforts late on but Paddy (Miller), Clayts (Adam Clayton) and Aaron (Hardy) threw their bodies at everything.

"With the defenders so determined in front of Tom (Taylor, Farsley’s goalkeeper), who did what was needed when called on, we earned that clean sheet.

“It was a good afternoon, I thought we lost our shape a little late in the game, and that probably led to the New Mills chances, but it didn’t end up costing us.”

Farsley had a whirlwind start and centre back Paddy Miller opened the scoring in the second minute, glancing in a header to convert a Lewis Sugden corner.

Paul Walker had forced the flag-kick when his low cross from the left, after being picked out by Sugden’s excellent diagonal through ball, had the Millers’ defence in a panic.

Just a minute later, Aiden Savory doubled the home side’s lead.

His pace took him through the middle of the New Mills rearguard and he slotted past keeper Oliver Martin.

Martin made a superb save soon after as he dived full length to get both hands to a well-struck free-kick from Walker.

The forward curled the set-piece around the wall and it seemed destined to ripple the net but Oliver’s outstretched arms blocked the ball just in time.

However, the Millers’ overworked keeper was beaten again in the 20th minute, and it was probably the pick of the four goals.

Lewis Nightingale sent a teasing diagonal through ball into the area, and midfielder Ross Daly expertly side-footed it on the volley past Oliver.

The Celts added the fourth just before the break, and it was a just reward for Nightingale for his efforts.

It was his defence-splitting pass that skidded into the area, and Savory just got a toe to it to keep it out of Oliver’s reach.

As Savory turned to chase the loose ball, he spotted Nightingale steaming in and reeled away to give the right winger a clean strike, and he accepted the invitation.

There could have been more goals as Farsley maintained their relentless grip on the game before their defence were forced to hack two very good efforts off the line in the last two minutes.