Match Report

REFEREE: Mr Mo Matadar

Alty were without the injured Ryan Shotton (calf strain), Colin Potts and Gareth Whalley, so the squad of 16 was self-selecting, with Chris Lane back from suspension replacing Shotton in the back four and Munroe moving to centre-back.

Farsley did not name their new loan signing, Steve Torpey, from Lincoln City, in their squad.

BACKGROUND:

This was the proverbial "six pointer" with Alty striving to get the three points which would lift them out of the bottom four for the first time this season.

Many Alty fans missed the kick-off after major delays on the M60 caused by roadworks and accidents. And by the time they arrived the rain was set in for the night at the Throstle Nest, which only has cover on one side and at one end.

LINE-UPS

FARSLEY CELTIC (Blue shirts, shorts and socks): 1. Tom MORGAN; 2. Mark JACKSON, 4. Amjad IQBAL, 5. Ryan CROSSLEY, 22. Ryan SERRANT; 36. Michael PEARSON, 7. James KNOWLES, 18. Steven DOWNES, 14. Roy STAMER; 8. Simeon BAMBROOK, 9. Damian REEVES. Subs: 10. Gareth GRANT, 16. Scott McNIVEN, 17. Ashley ALLANSON, 23. Tristram WHITMAN, 34. Chris BILLY.

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts and red socks): 1. Stuart COBURN; 15. Chris LANE, 4. Karl MUNROE, 5. Darren TINSON (capt), 3. Gary SCOTT; 7. Robbie LAWTON, 6. Jake SEDGEMORE, 8. Val OWEN, 11. Warren PEYTON; 19. Chris SENIOR, 9. Colin LITTLE. Subs: 2. Steve ASPINALL, 13. Richard ACTON, 12. Joe O'NEILL, 18. Pat McFADDEN, 22. Carlos LOGAN.

Alty Subs:

Right: Farsley's Ryan Serrant prepares to take a first-half throw-in on Tuesday night as Robbie Lawton and Gary Scott keep an eye on Celtic's Stamer and Darren Tinson marshalls his defence.

Farsley won the game's first corner (3 mins) and they soon threatened again following a slip by Scott but the left back chased back and managed to jostle Reeves into shooting wide (8 mins). When Tinson shepherded a ball out for a goalkick, Reeves barged him gratuitously into the advertising hoardings and the offender was quite rightly booked by Mr. Matadar as he could have done serious damage to the Alty captain. Twenty seconds later, when Iqbal, arguably the last defender, hauled back Senior as he approached the Farsley box, he too was booked but with the Alty fans calling for a dismissal, only the yellow card was produced (10 mins).

Sedgemore's freekick from 25 yards took a slight deflection and went out for a corner (11 mins). Following this, Owen fired well wide from 20 yards. Next, a ball upfield by Farsley was mis-headed, inside to his left, by Tinson, allowing Bambrook's header to set Reeves free behind the defence from where he drove a well-hit shot past Coburn (13 mins). After a scrappy few minutes, a cross from the right found Knowles at the back post, but his header went wide (18 mins). The home side continued to have the better of things and it took a superb tackle by Munroe on Bambrook to stop the ex-Emley striker from getting free in the box (19 mins).

With good vocal support, Alty slowly improved and a cross from Peyton into the box was followed by Little's shot from 20 yards, which the keeper saved (26 mins). Then Little fed Senior at the back post, where Morgan saved well (28 mins). Next an excellent Alty move ended with Senior shooting into the net, but offside was given (32 mins). But Alty's ten minutes on top ended with a Farsley corner after Stamer had got past Lane (33 mins). The corner was cleared to Serrant who fired wildly over the bar from 20 yards.

As Lane and Reeves went for an aerial ball near the half way line on the Alty right, the Farsley man caught Lane in the face with his elbow. Having already been booked, Mr. Matadar produced a second yellow and the inevitable red to reduce Celtic to ten men (36 mins). After treatment Lane went off, holding the left side of his face and was not to reappear on the pitch. As Alty decided whether to replace the defender, and with Logan warming up as a potential replacement, the ball fell into Little's path and Morgan did well to beat out his well-struck shot, which was then cleared (41 mins). Finally, Alty restored themselves to full strength by bringing on Logan on the left wing. Peyton moved to left-back and Scott transferred to right-back as part of the changeover. Despite being a man down a Knowles header forced a save from Coburn (43 mins). As the 45 minutes ended Scott slid in late on the greasy surface and fouled Serrant near half-way. Scott escaped a booking but Bambrook was shown a yellow for a remark to Mr. Matadar (45 mins). The referee further annoyed the home support when a deflected Farsley shot was not rewarded with a corner but with an Alty goalkick.

Four minutes of added time were announced. Logan's first serious intervention in the game saw him gather the ball, set off on a run up the left and promptly lose his footing on the slippery pitch. The nearest to a goal in added time came as play went into a fifth added minute and a foul by Peyton gave Celtic a freekick 25 yards out on their right. Stamer's kick was stopped by Coburn but he fumbled the ball. Farsley appealed for a corner but the referee blew for half-time instead.

Each side made a change at the interval. For Alty, Joe O'Neill replaced Val Owen, who was presumably injured and for Farsley, their number eight (Bambrook) also left the field, to be replaced by Grant. Lawton moved to centre midfield as O'Neill initially started on the right. Logan started the half well and from his cross an Alty corner was won. Sedgemore's corner came to Little beyond the back post but his shot was deflected out for a second corner, this time on the right. This time, Morgan punched Sedgemore's kick clear. Then Senior and Little combined well for the latter to force a good block from Morgan as it looked as if Alty would now make the extra man advantage tell (48 mins).

A third Alty corner in this half followed after 53 minutes after a fine ball across the box from Little found Logan to the left of goal. Sedgemore's corner was met by Senior beyond the back post and another corner resulted as his effort was blocked by a defender. The corner was cleared out to Little whose shot forced a low save from the keeper. Little was looking livelier than of late and with Senior also his usual busy self, it seemed that an Alty goal must come. Logan, for his part, was giving Jackson a difficult time as he repeatedly ran at him on the Alty left.

After 55 minutes Farsley brought on Billy for Knowles. But Alty were now making errors, as when Sedgemore passed the ball to an opponent and Farsley went forward and won a corner. Alty continued to falter for the next few minutes but more good work by Logan saw him get the ball to Senior near the by-line to the left of goal. He jinked round keeper Morgan who then appeared to trip him but the Alty man overdid his fall and Mr. Matadar concluded that he had dived and, far from giving Alty a penalty, he booked the Alty striker (59 mins).

But two Alty corners soon followed and from Sedgemore's first kick, Little's goalbound header was headed over his own goal by a defender. Another great bit of work from Logan on the left ended with a fine cross but Lawton could only head wide of the target under pressure (63 mins). It looked like being one of those nights when plenty of Alty chances were being created but none were being converted. Alty soon went very close again after a Sedgemore shot had cleared the bar. Now Lawton got into the box but elected to pass inside to Little rather than shoot. Little was held in the box but won no sympathy from Mr. Matadar as the chance disappeared. Farsley reminded Alty that they were not out of the game when they went to the other end and Grant got round Coburn who was left stranded on the edge of his box. Fortunately the Farsley man had been forced to go to the wide right of goal and the move ended with Grant shooting wide (66 mins).

At last Alty got the equalizer in the 67th minute. The goal game after Darren Tinson surged upfield and when the ball came to Senior on the by-line right of goal, he managed to get it across goal where Little bundled it home from close range as a challenge came in . After the restart Downes won himself a freekick by running into Peyton and though Stamer's freekick from the right was met by an unmarked header from a Farsley player, the ball cleared the bar (69 mins). Now Farsley introduced Tristram Whitman for Stamer (70 mins). As Alty pressed forward again, Logan cut in but his shot was beaten out by Morgan for a corner. After this an unnecessary push by Logan relieved the pressure on Farsley. Another Alty corner, their eighth of the second half, was again won by Logan off Jackson (76 mins). Corner number nine arrived after the Farsley goal led a charmed life when both Senior and O'Neill had goalbound shots blocked in the goalmouth. But again Farsley got relief from the attacks from an unnecessary Alty action, this time handball by Munroe (78 mins). A tenth second-half corner materialised after 81 minutes through Senior's efforts but then Alty curiously took their foot of the pressure and it was the ten men of Farsley who had the better of the closing stages.

Alty mistakes began to reappear as possession was given away too cheaply. Farsley even had the ball in the net after 87 minutes but the goal was offside. A late flurry saw Logan cut in from the left but his right-footed shot cleared the bar (88 mins). Another unnecessary push by Logan took the pressure off the home defence soon afterwards, as the game went into three added minutes of action, with rain still falling, though more lightly than for most of the match. Neither side was able to break the deadlock and given their loss of a player with more than 50 minutes to go, Farsley will have been happier with the point at the final whistle.

For Alty Logan, in the second half, was their main threat but there was some promising play between Little and Senior in the first period, too. Morgan in the Farsley goal was the far busier of the two keepers but the home defence did well, even if it rode its luck once or twice. The draw left the two teams separated by two points in 20th and 21st places respectively in the league table. For the neutral this was an entertaining game played in testing, wet conditions.