FARSLEY Celtic are now four points behind in the race for the Evo-Stik Premier Division title after coming out second best in a roses derby at old rivals Lancaster City.

The Dolly Blues were struggling at the wrong end of the table, but the three points from a 2-0 home win over the Celts saw them rocket up to 14th and took them to the 40-point barrier.

It was a goalless first-half at the Giant Axe but the home side really should have broken the deadlock in the 13th minute. City defender Glenn Steel saw his header to a corner come back off Kyle Trenerry’s post and home striker Matt Blinkhorn inexplicably turned the rebound over from two yards out.

Farsley’s Adam Clayton was just off target with a back post header and Ben Atkinson was foiled by a good save from City keeper Jack Sims, while Trenerry had to be well placed to gather a shot from Paul Dawson.

The opening goal came early in the second-half as Charlie Bailey beat Trenerry with a shot from a tight angle after good run down the left wing.

The Celts mustered a brief spell of pressure around the hour mark, but all it let to was a strong penalty appeal and blocked shot from Dave Syers.

Lancaster sealed the points with a second goal as Blinkhorn atoned for his earlier miss by leaping to meet a 65th-minute cross and heading past Trenerry.

Celts boss Adam Lakeland was honest in his assessment, saying: “We knew it would be a tough game because they’re in good form but I felt we dominated in the first-half after being let off at a corner.

“But we were terrible in the second-half. I will defend the players all day long but I can’t defend that second-half performance.

"The players are disappointed but we’ve got to accept that on that second-half performance Lancaster deserved to win.

“After the game we told the players to get their heads up and the best thing about football is that there is always another game around the corner and we go again on Tuesday.”

The Celts host second-from-bottom Workington.

Brighouse Town shipped in five goals in an uncharacteristic display at Loughborough Dynamo to dent their title hopes in Division One East.

Town were 3-1 down by the interval after the home side set off at a pace, scoring twice inside the opening 20 minutes.

Luke Thorogood broke the deadlock before Josh Riley added and Karl Demidh netted Dynamo’s third before the half hour mark.

Two goals either side of the break gave Town hope with Aaron Martin scoring just before the interval and Mohammed Ibrahim making it 3-2 in the first minute of the second-half.

The hope lasted 10 minutes before Reuben Aasamoah gave the home side a two-goal cushion again. A last-minute penalty for the home side was converted by Ryan Robbins.

Vill Powell’s men are now 10 points adrift of leaders Morpeth Town. They remain in second place but the gap between them and the chasing pack is down to just one point.