Saturday 22nd March 2008
Vics 4 (Stamp 39 Crowell 45 Byrne 66 Steele 90)
Farsley Celtic 0

Skipper Michael Welch lined up at the heart of the Vics back three, resplendent in a white face mask that otherwise would have served as a "Zorro" disguise.
Any swashbuckling opening was surely coincidental as the opening passage of play proved to be frenetic. Livewire Damien Reeves got the better of Welch to set up Torpey whose shot produced a sensational parry from Tynan and the keeper went one better when he grasped the follow up header from the same player.

Play switched quickly and Steele forced Aspden into an equally impressive save after he had slipped behind the visitors defence. Stamp diverted a Byrne shot narrowly wide before Reeves sprang the Vics offside trap to execute a lob over the exposed Tynan that seemed to be destined for the net until the Vics keeper scrambled back to stretch and fingertip the ball around his post. From the subsequent corner the Vics keeper sank to the ground injured, although after lengthy treatment he continued despite clearly limping. Brown cut inside effectively to set up Crowell and his 25 yard shot forced Aspden to save low down to his right. Byrne conjured a one-two with Byrom but his finish fa iled to match the standard of his creativity. Mullan found space down the right to deliver a cross to Steele but his volley cleared the bar. Vics remained on top and only a double save by Aspden stopped them from taking a deserved lead, the keeper having first parried a 25 yard Byrom strike before getting behind a close range follow up shot from Stamp. Connett eventually replaced the incapacitated Tynan before Vics finally took the lead. Lee Steele forged forward to deliver a cross to beyond the far post where Brown moved in to return a low cross into the 6 yard box leaving STAMP to score. Reeves headed a Prendergast free kick inches over the bar to remind everyone that the game was far from over. But Vics had other plans and after Steele had again got behind the over worked Farsley defence his cross was blocked allowing CROWELL to latch onto the loose ball and slot a precision 25 yard shot into the corner of the net.
Early substitutions by Celtic failed to stem the tide and a mazy run from Mullan culminated in a one-to-one with Byrne that ended with the winger setting up Stamp and he really ought to have done better than shoot wide of a gaping goal. The impressive Vics were not to be denied and "Zorro" Welch exampled a determination, that had been on view from the Vics team from the off, by winning the ball deep inside his half before moving forward to win a free kick. From the quickly taken set piece Steele was set clear on goal and he squared a pass to BYRNE who underlined an excellent personal performance by drilling a shot into the net from 8 yards. With the fear factor removed Vics administered a footballing lesson to their opponents. Byrom, another who had taken the opportunity to exhibit his quality, curled a free kick around the visitors defensive wall and was only denied by a superlative full length save. That was followed by a free kick from an identical position that was deli vered by Byrne and narrowly cleared the bar. The rout was eventually underlined when STEELE broke free to score with another precision finish.

Team: 3-5-2
Tynan (Connett 31) /
Meadowcroft, Belle, Welch /
Mullan, Byrne, Crowell, Byrom, Brown (Horrocks 87) /
Stamp (Burns 74), Steele /
Subs not used: Bowler & Carr
Referee: D.D. Sarginson
Man of the Match: Jamie Mullan

Pete Wilson