The U16s were crowned JPL Plate champions with a 4-3 penalty shoot-out victory over Woking at the South Kesteven Stadium, home of Grantham Town, after the match was level 2-2 at full-time.
Kyrell Kavanagh’s second-half double without reply cancelled out the first-half 2-0 deficit to send the match straight to a shoot-out.
Kavanagh hit the bar with Farsley’s first but Joe Hudson saved Woking’s third to level the score.
Yonas Melake and Zac Benjamin made sure it was 2-2 after three shots before Woking missed their fourth to allow Aeren Pink and Amari Smith to win the Plate.
Kavanagh was pulled back on 4 minutes, 20 yards out running at pace towards the box. Melake’s free-kick bent round the right of the wall but curled straight back at the ‘keeper.
An early lead went Woking’s way on 9 minutes, however, with their own set-piece.
Deep on Woking’s left, close to the touchline, the free-kick was curled towards goal and met by the first attacker who flicked the ball inside the near post.
Woking attacked through another set-piece, this time a corner, on 12 minutes which was originally punched clear by Hudson but only to the edge of the box on the right where it was half-volleyed back over the crowd but also the bar.
Josh Carney was being allowed plenty of time in midfield on 15 minutes coming short in midfield to receive the ball off Farsley’s defensive three. He found Smith to his right who’s first-touch flicked the ball round his marker and the Celts captain spun to retrieve it. He passed the baton onto Kavanagh who again had space to run into before eventually being intercepted on the edge of the box.
Again Woking retaliated with a set-piece, a long-throw from the left was pushed away by Hudson to the left edge of his box. An attacker controlled the loose ball, made a run towards the goal-line before shooting straight at Hudson.
Eloi Nyom countered down the right on 24 minutes before passing to Kavanagh who progressed inside before crossing left along the edge of the box. It rolled behind Benjamin’s run but the forward collected the second-ball, with his back to goal, therefore spinning to half-volley with his left foot, over the top right corner.
The lead was instead extended in first-half added time.
A long-ball was controlled by a Woking attacker, outnumbered three-to-one but twisting and turning, he created space, eventually deciding to poke to goal, right-footed, past Hudson’s left.
Nyom’s powerful, first-time effort from the edge of the box, almost replied instantly but somehow the ‘keeper tipped over.
The resulting corner from the left found Kieron Murthoo-Williams at the back post but he was always stretching and could only flick the ball on its way as the last kick of the first-half.
Melake had a second-attempt at his earlier free-kick, on the edge of the right of the box and his accurate delivery narrowly missed several outstrecthed Farsley legs, ending with a scramble at the back post before the ball’s cleared.
Farsley’s opener eventually followed a Melake delivery on 52 minutes.
The wing-backs corner from the right led to another scramble on the penalty spot before Kavanagh found his opportunity to power into the roof of the net.
Hudson saved just a minute later after a counter down Woking’s right, behind Pink, allowed a shot from outside the right of the box, saved by the ‘keeper’s legs.
Benjamin then led Farsley’s counter down the right a minute after, attempting to beat his marker by cutting inside but was intercepted. Kavanagh was waiting behind to shoot first-time but appeared to slice his effort making it easy for the ‘keeper.
Hudson tipped over a direct free-kick from the edge of the right of the box on 58 minutes
A penalty levelled Farsley as Kavanagh was fouled late just inside the box.
The forward stepped up and powered past the ‘keeper’s left with the stopper diving the opposite way.
Hudson again punched clear from a corner to begin a Farsley counter.
Kavanagh pressured the defender into mis-directing his attempted back-pass, over the ‘keeper on the edge of his box and against the crossbar before bouncing back out to Kavanagh. Inside the box, he looked to place the ball past the ‘keeper’s left but the stopper reacted quick to get a strong hand on the ball and push it away.
Zac Benjamin was introduced with just a minute left with penalties dawning.
Woking’s cross from the right, minutes before full-time, found a forward inside the box at the far post but it was almost out of reach, flicking the ball wide.
Woking scored the first penalty into the bottom left corner before Kavanagh couldn’t replicate his earlier penalty success and hit the bar with Farsley’s first.
After Woking again converted into the bottom left, Yonas Melake made the score 2-1.
Hudson helped level the score after three kicks, saving low to his right before Zac Benjamin converted.
After Woking’s fourth flew over the bar, Aeren Pink scored the penalty of the shoot-out, converting off the post.
Woking reverted to the bottom left corner, converting their fifth which left it to captain Amari Smith to seal the victory with Farsley’s fifth kick.
A staggered run-up eventually ended with a placed effort off the inside of the left-hand post and the full Farsley squad sprinting to join him and Hudson for the celebrations.