By John Baron
Farsley Celtic’s wretched run of form continued as they slipped to their third home defeat in a row following a 2-0 reverse against Warrington Town, which left them just five points above the relegation zone.
The Celts were comprehensively beaten, failing to register a shot on target in 90 minutes as they fell to two quick goals just before half time. They have recorded only one win from their last eight league games, and in the 15 games since their win against Gloucester on 23 December they’ve managed three wins, scoring just 12 times.
Particularly worrying for The Celts, who have sat comfortably in mid-table for much of this season, was the tepid manner of recent performances.
Head coach Clayton Donaldson told club media last night was a “disappointing result and a disappointing game.”
“It’s just not working for us at the moment,” Donaldson said. “We seem to have lost that fight, that bite – that grit – that’s Farsley Celtic. We have gone away from that and it’s about trying to get that part of us back. We are just too easy to play against at the moment. We just need to go back to basics at times, so it’s disappointing really.
“We need to go back to what we were at the start of the season and mid-season – very solid, hard to beat and aggressive. I thought against Rushall, Alfreton and today they have done to us what we normally do to teams.”
Warrington almost took the lead inside the first minute as the lively Connor Woods had his effort cleared off the goal-line, and three minutes later the visitors somehow didn’t score after an almighty goalmouth scramble from a corner. On 13 minutes Woods hit a left-footed volley across goal which trickled narrowly wide.
Farsley’s Ryan Watson blazed well over from a corner, but that was the Celts’ only effort in the first 45 minutes.
Keeper Zan-Luk Leban then denied a close-range Amos header with a fantastic diving save. The resulting corner led to pinball in the Farsley box as Warrington pressed for the opener.
Twelve minutes later the visitors were finally ahead, Woods pouncing on a rebound following a terrific double save from Leban. Three minutes later Warrington doubled their lead when Woods finished from a tight angle.
The second half was a scrappy affair. Farsley’s only chance came on 69 minutes when Tom Allan rose at a corner but couldn’t keep his header down.
Warrington finished the stronger team and could have added a third goal six minutes from time. Buckley-Ricketts rattled the Farsley crossbar from range and the rebound was scrambled home but the referee rightly ruled it out for a foul on Leban. Amos then failed to convert two good chances and Woods just missed out on his hat-trick by dragging his shot narrowly wide in injury time.
The Celts, who have been under a transfer embargo imposed by the National League on 23 February, travel to play-off challengers Boston United on Saturday as they seek to get their season back on track.