Farsley Celtic u19s conceded the seventh and winning goal only in injury-time, having led three times at Morpeth Town’s Craik Park in the National League Youth Alliance.
Jared Felix put Farsley 2-1 up at half-time after the trip up north, scoring a 10th-minute opener before assisting the own-goal for Farsley’s second.
Morpeth equalised and missed a penalty in between the two Felix strikes but a 25-yard effort once again levelled for the hosts within 5 minutes after the beginning of the second half.
Felix scored a second before once again Morpeth levelled and eventually denied the Celts any points through an injury time winner.
Jared’s opening goal, poked past the ‘keeper one-on-one on 10 minutes, portrayed the open nature of the game throughout.
Louis Fialdini’s flick with the outside of his right boot, back to goal, found Felix to Farsley’s left. A sole defender in his path to goal, Felix won the contest, advancing to the edge of the box before poking the ball inside the near post.
Morpeth were focusing most of their attacks through their right-hand side, having been behind Farsley’s defence once already before the goal and now again on 16 minutes. A turn in the middle was followed by a through ball into the right of the box. The recipient cut inside onto their left but Farsley managed the threat.
Morpeth’s right-wing-back was often one of the furthest players forward whilst Farsley’s wingers, Wilfred Frimpong and Flavio Tomas, joined Fialdini and remaining man for man on the hosts’ three centre-halves which continued the match’s open style.
Morpeth’s threat out wide was evident from both sides in the same move on 23 minutes, firstly a cross from the left teased Jamie Cosway out of his goal, it was unclear whether he helped the ball on or not on its way to the right. A second cross was dealt with by Cosway with his foot, ending the attack.
A Morpeth cross equalised, albeit from a free-kick, Frimpong involved in defence this time on 27 minutes but conceding the free-kick.
The delivery from the right-hand touchline met a header at the near post, past Cosway.
Cosway then denied a second Morpeth goal in three minutes, saving low having closed the angle by advancing out his box. The shot from inside the box was set up by Farsley passing possession away on the half-way line and a through ball between the Celts defence teed up the shot.
Tomas was denied another headed goal by the post, almost following up his diving header last week. A perfect corner delivery from the right dropped around the penalty spot, attacked at pace by the run of Tomas who’s header skimmed the far post.
A penalty was awarded and then missed by Morpeth after Kouemeni’s tackle, tracking the Morpeth forward through on goal, appeared to win the ball but followed through into the forward.
Former Farsley man and JPL Plate winner with the Celts Zac Benjamin suffered the challenge but stood up for the spot-kick, although hitting the bar.
Farsley regained the lead with two minutes of the first-half left, an own-goal assisted by Felix following his opening strike.
Felix beat his man round the outside, inside the right of the box, and powered the ball hard and low into the centre with a Morpeth defender appearing to slide the ball into his own net with Fialdini close behind.
Another Tomas header was flicked at the back post on the left, wide of target with the Celts going into the break ahead.
A 25-yard strike into the top corner levelled for Morpeth five minutes into the second-half.
With space ahead of him, the Morpeth man was positioned slightly left of centre, directly infront of the sun. The Morpeth man shot left-footed into the near top past a hat-less Cosway.
Felix, stood on the last defender on the edge of the box, was able to round the outside of his marker, with the ball and fire it low across the box to the right on 55 minutes. Fialdini received the ball beside the penalty spot but his first-time shot was sliced wide of the far post.
A disallowed Farsley goal on 62 minutes denied Frimpong a goal due to a raised flag, Felix hitting the left post with Frimpong closest to the rebound to finish before the referee ordered play back.
Centre-back Jacob Smith’s introduction a minute later saw Kouemeni replaced from left-wing-back, Farsley reshaped now with a 3-man defence, Tomas moving central with Frimpong reverting into the vacant wide defensive role.
Farsley took the lead for a third time on 68 minutes, Felix scoring his second.
Fialdini’s low cross from the right skipped the Morpeth first defender and met Felix to finish into the space at the back post.
Morpeth again levelled four minutes later, a Farsley own-goal from TJ Kongolo.
The hosts’ own low cross, from their left, was attempted to be cleared by Kongolo but he pushed the ball inside the near post of his own net. Morpeth found a pass, on the half-turn, down the inside of Quartey on Farlsey’s right to put themselves in-behind the Farsley defence leading to the cross.
Morpeth rebounded the ball off the bar from outside the box on 74 minutes, the ball laced towards the top left corner and it’s curling both inward and down but not quite enough as it rebounds off the bar and behind.
A second edge of the box effort was easily dealt with by Farsley ‘keeper Cosway.
Fialdini had chance to retake the lead for Farsley with three minutes left. He placed his effort over the bar from inside the box, receiving the pass from the left, poking the ball between two defender and into the box before putting the ball over.
But Morpeth’s winner came instead in injury time.
Once again their width proving a threat, crossing low from the left all the way across the box to an open attacker at the back post to finish.
Farsley keeper Cosway joined the attack for one remaining corner but after it came to nothing, the final whistle went.
The u19s travel again next week, Kidderminster Harriers the hosts in the league cup 3rd round.