When the fixtures for the 2014/15 season were originally released, Farsley had three games in March and five in April. Now as we entered the final two months of the season, through a combination of postponements and progress in the Doodson Sport Cup, March and April would see The Villagers in action for seven fixtures in both months.

They started this busy end to the season with a home game against Warrington Town. Coming into the fixture Farsley had lost only one game in their last five league fixtures, which happened to be against their opponents today. Warrington had lost only one league fixture in 2015 against Droylsden and were unbeaten on their travels.

Given their recent form both teams were looking at continuing this in order to push for the play-off spots. With this at stake this was never going to be an open flowing game and so it proved to be.

Whilst it was blue skies over Throstle Nest, the first-half was a comparatively dull affair. Indeed what chances there were fell to the visitors. Within the opening ten minutes, Farsley keeper Tom Taylor missed a cross, but James McCarten headed over. Taylor redeemed himself on the quarter-hour though, when he did well to tip over a long-range effort from Scott Metcalfe. As the first-half neared the halfway mark, the same two players provided the next incident of note, when Taylor saved again from Metcalfe, although this time the strike on goal was from close range.

That though was the last significant action of the first-half as Farsley struggled to get any sort of foothold in the opening forty five minutes and it was no surprise that it was 0-0 at the break.

Perhaps unexpectedly, neither side made any changes for the start of the second-half. And it was the visitors who started the better in the opening ten minutes as they dominated possession, although Warrington didn’t test Taylor in the Farsley goal.

The first substitution came on 57 minutes when the injured Warren Beattie was replaced by Stephen Tames. Just five minutes later Farsley went ahead, when after good build-up play involving Aspin and Daley, Aidan Savory superbly put in Adam Priestley, whose good first touch allowed him to slot home past Karl Wills.

Farsley buoyed by the goal at last looked to apply some pressure and were nearly gifted a second goal with twenty minutes remaining. Wire defender James McCarten and keeper Wills were simply not on the same wavelength as the central defender knocked the ball past his goalkeeper. Thankfully for the visitors the ball struck the post and was bundled away. The home side were now in the ascendency as half chances came and went for Robbie O’Brien and the hardworking Aiden Savory.

With the game entering the last ten minutes, Farsley made a substitution with Lewis Nightingale replacing Kyle Hancock. The visitors knew that a goal would salvage a draw, but instead on 83 minutes, poor defending by Warrington nearly gifted Farsley another goal. A weak back-pass put Wills under pressure and his clearance struck Savory, but luckily for the Wire keeper he was able to easily gather the rebound.

Warrington’s last throw of the dice came with a second substitution, as Ben Wharton gave way to Dean Astbury on 87 minutes. However, they couldn’t find an equaliser and Farsley won a hard-fought three points in a game best described as ugly.

With games in hand, both sides will still have play-off aspirations after today, but know that the last two months of the season will test their squad to the full.

Points in the bag or games in hand? A football conundrum that will only be answered come 25 April.