Farsley AFC 3, Woodley Sports 1

Farsley boosted their Evo-Stik League promotion hopes with a home win against one of their Division One North play-off rivals as they sent Woodley Sports packing at Throstle Nest.

Neil Parsley’s men remained third as they broke through the 40-point threshold with a deserved, if far from comfortable, victory.

They took an early lead but allowed their opponents back into the game before finishing with a two-goal cushion.

Parsley said: “It is a very good result for us, given the proximity of the two clubs in the table and the forthcoming fixtures.

“Woodley finished the first half very strongly and we didn’t start the second half well.

“That allowed them to get an equaliser but I thought that overall we were good value for the win.

“We have defended well and scored goals at good times. Simeon Bambrook’s goal was well struck and that lifted the rest of the lads. From there I thought we were always going to win.”

Farsley took the lead in the sixth minute from the penalty spot. Gareth Grant was brought crashing down by Aaron Chalmers, a foul which earned the centre back a yellow card, and Ben Jones stepped up to bury the spot-kick.

It proved to be the only goal of the first half but Woodley were soon level after the restart.

Less than two minutes of the second half had ticked by before Jordan Stepien raced through and tucked a low shot into the bottom corner of Antoni Pecora’s net.

Bambrook pounced just after the hour mark when he was invited to shoot from outside the area by a retreating defence and he did not disappoint, rifling home an angled shot from the inside left channel.

The gloss was put on the win in the last minute when substitute Duncan Williams slotted in from close range at the far post.