The U21s won 6-1 against i2i Sky Blue in just Casey O’Reilly’s second match in charge of the West Riding FA Development Championship side.
Tawheed Ahmed, Amaan Aslam, Richard Boafo, Fares Djermoune, Jerry Le-grand Akpo and Ardian Gashi scored once each to earn the U21s their first three points of the season in match week 2.
Ethan Cotton and Duncan Dike joined Djermoune as U23s’ substitutes from Monday’s victory to be included in the U21s match squad while U19s’ TJ Kongolo kept his place in the centre of defence.
Farsley took a fast lead inside 2 minutes with a penalty thanks to the pace of left-winger Ahmed winning the foul.
After initially pushing the ball to goal, away from his marker, the winger was brought down. Ahmed took the penalty himself, finished to the left of the ‘keeper.
i2i were having success on the counter, firstly on 8 minutes. From the centre of Farsley’s half, a pass with the outside of the boot played the ball inside the right of the box. A low cross into the centre was controlled and poked at goal but Ethan Cotton positioned himself straight infront of the shot and pushed it away to his right.
Ahmed won another race on the left after Bernard’s run out of midfield was completed by a pass through the i2i defence. Ahmed’s low cross into the centre was intercepted ahead of Kelan Gorski in the middle.
Aslam made it both wingers on the scoresheet after 24 minutes.
Aslam received Djermoune’s pass from centre to right, knocked the ball round the outside of his marker before his powerful shot from the edge of the box rose into the near top corner.
Ethan Cotton tipped onto his near right post from another i2i counter, the visitors one-on-one inside the box.
The lead was further extended by Boafo up for a free-kick deep into i2i’s half on 40 minutes.
Boafo didn’t receive Tayo Thornton’s initial free-kick delivery but Alex Cazaco crossed the second attempt from open play, down the left, the ball finding its way to Boafo in the centre of the box and the defender’s shot was too powerful for the ‘keepers fingertip touch.
Djermoune scoring Farsley’s fourth, seven minutes after half-time, again saw pace credit the U21s attack.
The attacking midfielder was played one-on-one inside the left of the box before lacing his shot across goal, high into the net.
Gashi hit the post from a free-kick when he arguably should have been awarded a penalty himself. He was fouled arguably inside the box after being held up initially on the left but had success cutting inside before eventually being fouled. But the referee stated it was only a free-kick from the edge.
Gashi curled the set-piece round the right of the wall and against the far post.
Le-Grand Akpo’s Farsley fifth came in a much slower move.
A simple corner delivery from the right was diverted into goal by Le-grand Akpo’s header from the centre of the box.
I2i scored their opener on 68 minutes.
With the ball played to the left of the box, Farsley’s defence and Cotton in goal all shifted across with it. A low cross through the box to the right was then finished into the space vacated at Celts’ back post.
But Farsley finished the match with another finish, Gashi the scorer on 86 minutes.
With his back to goal, Gashi’s precise skill under tight marking beat the defender and knocked the ball into space infront of goal. Gashi advanced to the edge of the box before placing the ball perfectly into the bottom corner.
I2i were denied by the post for a second goal in added time.
Le-grand Akpo did everything he could, sliding in perfectly timed on the edge of the box to stop the runner completing his way into the area. But the loose ball ran back straight to an i2i attacker who placed his shot towards the far post to be denied by the woodwork.
The U21s didn’t have to wait long for their first three points of the season in only their second match so far.