The u23s overcame a tactical surprise from i2i Orange, leaving York St John University as 4-1 victors.
In a place where Farsley usually dominate possession, they were quickly forced back into their own half for most of the first forty-five minutes in the West Riding FA Development Premier League – although led 1-0 at the break.
Pablo Martinez led Farsley’s improved agenda in the second-half and scored a debut goal, after Asa Mitchell’s opener had been doubled by Alfie Wilkinson, earlier in the half.
I2i, coached by former Farsley u23 co-manager Mark Masperio, restored just the one-goal deficit with the immediately following attacking but Martinez and Sidibe proved Farsley’s second-half dominance.
Given Farsley’s struggle to keep possession in the first 5 minutes, Moussa Sidibe, as energetic as usual, had the first shot on target.
Running down the left after receiving Wilkinson’s poked through pass, the shot came from just inside the box, but the ‘keeper had his near post covered.
Asa Mitchell is the perfect player to take advantage when in possession and danced his way through the crowd whilst Farsley enjoyed a successful period of containing their hosts in the correct half.
Dragging the ball under his body, onto his left, the shot from the edge of the box was too close to the ‘keeper.
But I2i showed they were capable out of possession, countering down the right but the move finished in the side netting.
Cosway was tested by a chance gifted to i2i after Smith’s headed clearance was met first by an i2i forward, 20-yards out.
Seeing and finding the run into the box, between two Farsley centre-backs, the following shot was always rising, debatable whether it would of hit the net without Cosway’s touch.
Mitchell was finding space anywhere, now utilised in a counter attack, caressing the ball round his presser with an open goal waiting after Malumo had raced with the i2i ‘keeper to a direct pass forward. Sidibe hit the wall with the resulting kick.
The number ten lined up for his shot in the box after firstly Malumo had cut the ball back to Fernandez to his left with the ball instead ending at the next in line on eighteen minutes.
Cosway’s quick reaction save with his feet denied a shot following a cutback across the box from I2i who currently matched Farsley three on three in this play. It came from Effah’s poor clearance which set-up the i2i press.
A second cross, this time aerially, was headed to goal at the backpost, bouncing off the ground on it’s route which gifted Cosway a high but easy catch.
Fernandez trusted Sidibe’s speed to move Farsley from out their own half on the half-hour mark but no teammate is keeping up with him so the cross from the right runs across the box.
Minutes later and Sidibe was in…but Fernadez’s pass was behind, halting the winger’s run.
Then Asa…who was just beaten to a direct pass by the ‘keeper’s block with his hands scarily close to the edge of his box.
But Mitchell made the most of his next chance, giving Farsley the lead by reacting quickly to his next chance.
With Farsley playing fast down the left, Mitchell eventually received the ball centrally on the edge of the box, controlling with one touch and finding the bottom left-hand corner, from the edge of the box
Malumo received the next chance, Fernandez drilling a through ball from midfield, between two i2i defenders. Malumo got fortunate with a deflection to receive the ball back off a defender but doesn’t fare as well against the ‘keeper who’s block knocks the ball away.
Central midfielder Jordan Chippendale took matters into his own hands by racing down the left within the first minutes after the restart.
His cross/shot looked to be squeezing between the ‘keeper and his post but was in fact collected by the diving stopper.
Pablo Martinez’s debut looked to be mimicking i2i’s press, successfully so far as well apart from his pass behind the i2i defence which was too powerful and ran out for a throw on the left.
Chippendale again by the far touchline as per his new position, found Martinez on the 6-yard box. But with his back to goal, he struggled to create space for the shot, hitting it on the turn which was deflected over.
Fellow half-time substitute Kaydan Harrison earnt a booking for a late challenge in his part of the press.
Chippendale and Martinez were joined by Fernandez in this play as the link-up on the left continued to the back post where Fernadez’s shot deflected over.
Another ball out left was set-back by Chippendale to Matty Hatch who in turn passed inside to Alfie Wilkinson.
The i2i press was skipped, handing Wilkinson space to shoot from 20-yards but the ball curled away from the right-hand post.
Wilkinson gets the headlines for the second but Fernandez was the author.
Whether the most impressive part of the build-upfrom the break speed from inside his own half or the perfectly weighted pass between two i2i defenders, into the path of Wilkinson who poked under the outrushing ‘keeper andmadesure after the ball
But I2i reacted straight away, firing low into the far left-hand corner from the edge of the box.
Mitchell handed Martinez the simplest of debut goals just minutes later.
Sidibe copied the trend to beat his marker down the left and finding Martinez again but his header was narrowly wide of the far post.
Sidibe made sure himself on his next opportunity, however.
Choosing to cut inside this time, his low shot was too powerful for the ‘keeper’s single hand at his near post and crept in for Farsley’s fourth.
Sidibe was now showing off with a three-goal lead just minutes before the full-time whistle, firstly his drag back behind himself nutmegged his defender.
The winger collected the ball at the other side before cryuff turning a second and finished his part with a no-look pass into the box. The u23s return home on Monday 25th when they host Hemsworth Miners Welfare.