By John Baron
Farsley Celtic put in a battling performance against a team which started the night as leaders of the National League North – with a sensational 94th-minute strike enough to earn a 2-1 win at King’s Lynn Town.
Farsley’s new loanee Theo Williams ran half the length of the pitch to shoot past Town keeper Sam Blair deep into stoppage time to earn the gutsy visitors a vital three points in their battle against relegation – and dent the home side’s title hopes at the same time.
Town’s Tommy Hughes had earlier cancelled out Frank Mulhern’s first half opener.
It was Farsley who started brightly against their more illustrious opponents. Carlton Ubaezuono’s shot came back off the post after just five minutes.
And The Celts took the lead midway through the first half as Kian Scales threaded the ball through to striker Mulhern, who held off a Town defender before finishing past Blair.
Farsley stopper Max Dearnley pulled off a couple of smart stops to deny the home side, but the visitors were good value for their half-time lead.
The second half saw King’s Lynn step up a gear and they were level on 52 minutes, Hughes firing home on the half volley.
Farsley had to dig deep but it looked like they had fallen behind when the home side netted on 61 minutes, only for the referee and linesman disallow the goal for offside after a lengthy discussion.
On 72 minutes Josh Barrett delivered a dangerous ball into the near post, but Dearnley and Butler deny Ponticelli between them.
Farsley held out despite Kings Lynn pressure – and it was Sheffield United loanee Theo Williams, on his first start for the Farsley, who grabbed the late glory to push his side up to fourth from bottom in the National League North.
The win is a welcome boost for the battling Celts, whose thoughts now turn to a trip to National League side Gateshead in the quarter finals of the FA Trophy.
Match reaction
Boss Russ Wilcox said it was an ‘amazing’ feeling to secure the late win and praised the team’s work rate, togetherness and shape. “We keep going and keep grafting,” he said. “It was an incredible performance.”
Match winner Theo Williams paid tribute to his side’s organisation on the night:
Line ups
King’s Lynn Town: Blair, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Crowther, Coulson, Callan-McFadden, Denton, Hughes, Clunan, Barrett, Stephens (Ponticelli 60), Omotayo. Subs: Cosgrave, Dixon-Hodge
Farsley Celtic: Dearnley, Turner, Butroid, Johnson, Butler, Clayton, Williams, Devine, Ubaezuonu, Mulhern, Scales. Subs (not used): Syers, Parkin, Jessop, Atkinson, Wallace.
Booked: Butroid, Dearnley.
Attendance: 721.
