Celts need win to lift shattered morale

12:09pm Thursday 24th April 2008

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There are no miracles big enough to get Farsley out of the Blue Square Premier Division's relegation zone and the brave little club who dared to dream will have to rebuild next season.

The Celts have home advantage for Saturday's visit of Grays Athletic but it will be nothing other than their swansong in the nation's fifth division. They would have to win by almost 30 goals and see both Halifax and Altrincham lose their last games to survive.

The midweek defeat, 4-1 at Yorkshire neighbours York, effectively relegated Farsley and extinguished any remaining hopes of a second season just outside the Football League.

Celts manager John Deacey will want to send the fans home in good spirits after five defeats on the spin. A victory would boost morale with a close season of reconstructing the squad looming for the club.

A glut of injuries at the worst possible time blighted the Celts' chances of a successful season. That would have been achieved by finishing fifth from bottom, securing their status and giving them time to consolidate.

While their relegation was being confirmed, Georges Santos - stalwart centre back for Farsley and formerly Sheffield United - was reduced to summarising on the radio as he sat out through injury.

Mark Jackson, club captain Ryan Crossley and midfielder Ryan Serrant were among others sidelined and Deacey will again be struggling to muster 16 fit and able bodies to fill his final team-sheet of this ill-fated campaign.

All Saturday's games in the division kick off at 5.15pm because Setanta are televising one fixture and league rules dictate that all matches in the final round of fixtures must begin concurrently in the interests of fair play.

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