THIS week was another hectic one for the area's semi-professional clubs in pre-season action and none were busier than Farsley Celtic.
The Celts played four games in quick succession and will be enjoying a hard-earned rest this weekend – but only after another outing at Hemsworth MW tonight.
After losing 3-0 to Bradford City, they went down by the same score to Bradford Park Avenue last Saturday.
Neil Parsley's men followed that with a goalless draw at Tadcaster Albion on Monday before smarting from a 5-1 home defeat to FC Halifax Town on Wednesday.
The Shaymen fielded a fringe team in what was a testing game for Farsley – the perfect pre-season examination.
Halifax led 2-0 at the break after goals from Connor Hughes and Jordan Burrows before Rhys Jenkinson hit back for Farsley in the second half.
Yet it did not spark a comeback as Burrows netted his second before Sean Turton and Sam Hillhouse wrapped up a comfortable victory for the National League side.
Halifax had been at Horsfall on Monday and they inflicted Avenue's first defeat of the pre-season period.
However, the result did not take the edge off Bradford's launch of their tribute season to former record goal-scorer Kevin Hector.
The Avenue legend was in attendance, with some of his erstwhile team-mates, but it was Danny Hattersley who was the Shaymen's goal-scoring hero on the night. He netted a superb strike late on in a 1-0 win for Town.
While Guiseley beat a young Bantams side 2-1 on Tuesday, the Lions' neighbours Liversedge and Brighouse Town both suffered defeats.
Sedge lost 3-1 at Knaresborough Town, who play their football a division below in the Northern Counties East League. Archie Watson grabbed Sedge's late consolation.
Citing the heavy workload that the first-team squad have endured, Brighouse sent a development squad to Yorkshire Amateur.
The home side enjoyed the experience and ran out 4-2 winners, with Jack Normanton bagging a second-half brace in reply for Town.
As Farsley suffered a home defeat on Wednesday, so did Silsden – at the hands of Thackley.
The Dennyboys broke the deadlock in the 57th minute and, despite the Cobbydalers levelling, the visitors won it thanks to a late strike by former Cobbydalers player Mike Garrod.
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