Max Broadie’s hat-trick earned a 4-2 victory for the U16s against Doncaster boys, scoring in his second consecutive friendly to recover a 2-1 half-time deficit on Saturday.
Rob Adamson’s free-kick curled into the top right corner completed the second-half come-back.
Donrique Davies returned to the squad after featuring as an U15 last season, among four changes to the starting 11 with Luke Mallinder, Harry Cheyne and Shane Silvester promoted from the bench.
Farsley were attacking quickly from the start, firstly Shane Silvester beat his marker in the centre to run at the defence, followed by Broadie a few minutes later cutting in from the left away from his defender.
The first goal, however, went Doncaster’s way from a free-kick on 9 minutes.
Gavin Maleka headed clear from the edge of his box but straight to a forward who hit a half-volley first-time into the top right corner.
Doncaster’s long-ball over the top of Farsley’s defence was hit first-time towards the bottom left corner but Mallinder tipped round his post. The resulting corner forced Mallinder into another save, pushing the ball over the crowd behind him.
Farsley levelled through a set-piece of their own on 14 minutes.
Davies’ corner from the right beat everyone but Broadie, the last man at the back post and he headed in from close range.
Doncaster immediately replied by running at the Celts’ defence and looked to have beat last man Richy Bamba but he covered to slide the ball out for a corner. Maleka headed away from goal this time.
Adamson’s ball over the Doncaster defence into the advancing Davies on 15 minutes was chipped to goal by the forward but sliced away from the right post.
Silvester controlled well with his back to goal before turning to pass into the path of Broadie to his left. The goalscorer received the ball just inside the box before placing a shot to the right of the ‘keeper but saved low.
Another goal from a set-piece restored Doncaster’s lead.
Harry Cheyne lost his attacker at the near post, allowing a header from close-range past Mallinder.
Davies’ ball from inside his own half, over the top of Doncaster’s defence, landed into the path of boradie who was ahead of his marker. The forward poked to the far right corner but the ball always curling wide.
Davies almost crossed once again for Broadie, the former beating his defender to the touchline, inside the right of box, but his cross was cleared by a defender in the middle.
Luca Ferullo played classic number nine forward play by rolling his defender and turning to goal. His chipped pass ahead of Davies had too much on it, however, to trouble before the break.
Maleka broke from his holding midfield position and through the centre of Doncaster’s half on 42 minutes before passing left to Broadie. The winger crossed to Ferullo who got a slight connection with his head to direct the ball goalwards but with not enough power to strain the ‘keeper.
Jaures Ngongue, a second-half change, epitomised his team’s progress in the second-half with his attacking intent inside the first five minutes of second-half. His two passes behind the Doncaster defence, firstly into Ferullo then Broadie, were both halted for offside but eventually highlighted dangerous areas for Farsley.
Cheyne and Silvester’s quick one-two on the right on 46 minutes similarly saw a quick transition from Farsley, switching the ball to the left but again the attack was halted in the final third.
Bamba’s foot got ahead of his attacker to intercept deep into his own half on 55 minutes before he was allowed to run into the Doncaster half. His pass was poked strongly behind the Doncaster defence but luckily the recipient was Broadie who won yet another race, this time against the ‘keeper before collding with the stopper.
A penalty was claimed for but a corner was given.
Adamson’s Cryuff turn on 63 minutes matched his defensive efforts now in attack, advancing down the left and play Broadie in behind inside the left of the box. Marked, the forward ran into too tight of an angle and was eventually intercepted.
The forward threatened again on 67 minutes from the same position. Back to goal, he immediately rolled his marker before shooting from a tight angle over the top of the ‘keeper and grazing the top of the bar.
Broadie equalised less than a minute later through an attack on the opposite side.
Substitute Jason Gomes crossed from the right and Broadie’s acceleration was on show again, beating his marker to the ball at the near post and hitting a first-time shot into goal.
Adamson claimed goal of the match – so far – with his direct free-kick just two minutes later.
Broadie, again, was fouled 20-yards out. Adamson, left-footed, curled the ball over the wall, away from the ‘keeper and dipped into the the top right corner.
Broadie’s hat-trick was completed with Farsley’s third goal in five minutes and another contender for goal of the game.
Kieron Murthoo-Williams received the ball following strong Farsley possession and crossed to the far left post where Broadie volleyed first-time into a big gap in the goal.
Leo Elsdon, the half-time substitute ‘keeper, was tested for the first-time with the last meaningful attack of the game two minutes before full-time. A Doncaster free-kick from a tight angle on the right was shot directly at the ‘keeper’s near post but he parried it out for a corner.
The U16s have one final pre-season friendly on Thursday 26th August before they enter the Junior Premier League competitive season.