Garforth 2 Farsley Celtic 4

Goals from Mitch Hamilton and Mark Simpson gave our local rivals a big scare before a second half turnaround saw them finally come out on top.

The first big chance of the evening fell to former Garforth player Chris Howarth on five mins who shot straight at Town keeper Paul Hagreen. On 12 mins another old face, Jamie Knowles went close when receiving a cross from the left, hitting the post. Immediately The Miners punished the visitors by putting themselves ahead, a flowing counter-attack was finished off by Mitch Hamilton who fired home from Jake Rose's cross.

The Villagers replied by creating further chances, but will wonder how they failed to convert any. Within two mins of the opener Nathan Turner and Aiden Savory were denied by the crossbar and an impressive Hagreen respectively. On 27 mins Richard Marshall shot wide after being set up by Savory, and then moments later James Walshaw was left red-faced when he could only shoot into the arms of Hagreen despite finding himself free a few yards from goal with, maybe too much time, to pick his spot.

Town responded with another break forward, and another goal on 31 mins to go 2-0 up. Mark Simpson received the ball in the middle of the park before jinking past a defender and scoring with an audacious chip over Farsley keeper Jake Lofthouse and in off the crossbar. A true goal of the season contender!

Back down the other end Hagreen made smart saves from Walshaw and Savory, before a double chance saw Walshaw strike the bar, then Savory shooting straight at Hagreen. The paintwork on the former "Safeway" goal was disturbed again when Savory was denied by the post a second time four mins later. Despite all this, Garforth could've helped themselves to a third goal seconds before the break when Nick Black found Turner at the far post, but the winger could only rifle beyond the far post.

Whatever was said in the away dressing room at half time seemed to have worked as within 11 mins the game was turned on its head, the Evo-Stik North Division side finally finding their scoring boots. Two goals in the space of a minute for Walshaw levelled things up; firstly finding the far corner of the net on 48 mins from a counter attack, and then lashing home Luke O' Brien's delivery.

On 56 mins it was 3-2 after Chris Simpkins was deemed to have brought down substitute (and another old face) Paul Walker in the box. Unsurprisingly it was Walshaw who placed the ball on the spot, promptly slotting it in the bottom corner to complete his hattrick.

A number of substitutes were made by both teams around the hour mark and the chances petered out for both sides. There was still time for the visitors to go further ahead however when Walker stroked home into the bottom corner a free kick on the edge of the area on 76 mins.

Despite the turnaround the hard-working Miners hadn't given up, and managed to fashion a few chances towards the end of the game. Excellent work through the middle by Simpson on 79 mins through a sea of players saw him find sub Simon Walton, the ex-Leeds United midfielder shooting wide. A Tim Robertson free-kick to the byeline was superbly headed across the six yard box by Sam Leach but with no Town player to convert, and in the last kick of the game Luke McCrum headed wide Walton's corner.

A final event of note was the introduction of Rob Hunter's son Sean five minutes from time, believed to the first instance at Garforth since Ross Martin played for his manager father Jimmy back in 2003-04 season.

Whilst it was another friendly defeat for Rob Hunter's side, it was another dogged and hard-working display with, certainly in the first period, a conviction in front of goal often lacking in the latter months of last season.

Town's final friendly is this Saturday when Warrington Town visit Cedar Ridge (kick-off 3pm).

Town team: Hagreen, J. Alali (Robertson 65), Simpkins (Leach 65), McMurrough (Walton 58), Beaston, McCrum, Turner (C. Tonkinson 80), Rose (Johnson 58), Black (Lund 69), Simpson, Hamilton (S. Hunter 85).