Farsley Celtic 3 Brighouse Town 2

FARSLEY Celtic had to come from a goal down to bank three points from an all action derby against a Brighouse Town side that ended with ten men.

It may have been a bitterly cold day, but things overheated on the pitch just before the hour mark.

Town’s former Guiseley man Jack Stockdill launched himself into a challenge just inside Brighouse’s half that earned him a straight red card.

The incident sparked a melee but the referee soon restored order.

It was a hard fought encounter with no quarter asked or given but not a nasty game, so fortunately that was an isolated incident. It was also a close contest right up until James Walshaw grabbed Farsley’s 84th minute winner.

Town boss Paul Quinn was disappointed to lose but pleased with the performance.

He said: “It was a tough game but I thought we played well and limited them to a few chances.

“They got a scrambled goal and another from a half chance and even the winner was from a scramble in the area so we’ve done well.

"Even when we went down to ten men we got level and then Ozzy (Leon Osborne) got through soon after and hit the inside of the post.

“Those moments change games. It didn’t go for us this time so we dust ourselves down and go again. That’s what we do – it’s all about the next game.”

New signing Ben Wharton marked his Brighouse debut with a goal and it took him just 15 minutes to notch it.

He lashed a shot past Graeme McKibbon from 10 yards and was denied a second a minute later as he netted only to see an offside flag raised.

Farsley also had a goal disallowed when Walshaw nodded in after Paul Walker had headed back across goal. But the home side turned the game just before the half hour as they snatched two goals within a minute.

Walshaw won the ball in the area but couldn’t stab home and the loose ball ran to Richard Marshall who drilled it past Town’s former Celts keeper Tom Taylor.

It wasn’t a pleasant return to the Nest for Taylor as he was beaten again when Ryan Watson put Farsley in front for the first time.

The visitors’ ten men levelled when Wharton’s shot was only parried by McKibbon, Osborne hit the rebound goalwards and the home keeper also got in the way of that before the rebound hit Aiden Savory and went in.

It was an incident packed game that could have gone either way but Walshaw converted a half chance when a late corner caused the visitors’ defence problems.

Farsley’s joint manager Neil Parsley said: “It was a typical derby in many ways but I’m very pleased with the efforts of my players because it was a significant three points that we earned.

“I don’t think the sending off made that much difference to be honest because Brighouse played really well with ten men, and Ozzy had those couple of chances, so they take a lot of credit from the game.

“We had played three league games away from home before this and we’ve got another two tough trips coming so it was very important to take all of the points from this home game.”