Words: John Baron
Photos: Simon Cullingworth
As gut-wrenching late defeats go, this one was was as hard to take as they come.
With just three minutes to go struggling Farsley Celtic were set to move off the bottom, leapfrogging both opponents Gloucester City and fellow strugglers Telford United, who were also losing.
Jimmy Spencer had netted his second goal in as many games early in a tense second half, which looked set to give the home side their first league win since November.
But Farsley sat deep and just three minutes from time Gloucester’s Matt Green managed to get a toe on to a ball played low across the box and steer it past Celts ‘keeper Kyle Trennery to pull The Tigers level.
Disaster was to follow as two minutes into injury time when Oliver Hulbert turned in a late winner to ensure Farsley remained rooted to the bottom of the League.
While the last two performances under new boss Russ Wilcox have shown improvement, the late horror show made in ten on the bounce without a win in the league, with another crunch game at Bradford Park Avenue looming next Saturday.
To add salt into the Celts’ wound, influential defender Tom Allan looks set for a spell on the sidelines with what looked like a nasty looking ankle injury which left the former York City defender hobbling on crutches.
Farsley Celtic boss Russ Wilcox said the result was a hard one to take and said his side deserved a point from the game:
Farsley Celtic: Trenerry, Vaughan, Sutton, Clayton, Allan (Drake 43), Hayhust, Atkinson, Turner, Walker, Spencer, Parkin (Gratton 82). Subs not used: Westcarr, Fialdini, Akiotu.
Gloucester City: Cole, Gerring, Nugent, Hall (King 76), Thompson, Barkers (Robert 77), O’Sullivan, Sheaf, Tomlinson (McClure 60), Hulbert, Green. Subs not used: Armstrong, Hill.
Attendance: 432