Eastwood Town: Markel marks debut with vital goal

YOUNG Markel Bailey was the Eastwood Town hero as he scored a vital goal in the win over Farsley Celtic on his full debut.

In an eagerly-contested affair, Eastwood were in the ascendency from the off.

Martin Foster went close to opening the scoring in the second minute, his 30-yard shot taking a deflection and going narrowly wide after a patient build-up.

Peter Knox then sprinted clear of the Farsley defence but chipped wide from the edge of the box.

Another quick move saw Knox go past three defenders and only a great tackle from Mark Jackson prevented him going through on goal.

Farsley defender Ryan Serrant almost headed Paul Riley's dangerous free kick into his own net before Roy Stammer's shot took a wicked deflection off Craig McAughtrie's boot and went agonisingly wide of the post.

Only the crossbar denied Knox as he fired in a screamer from the edge of the box in the 22nd minute.

Seven minutes later, though, Knox opened the scoring.

Martin Foster won the ball just outside the Eastwood box and Lindon Meikle ran half the length of the pitch before freeing Knox.

Cutting inside the last defender, he found the bottom corner of Piotr Skiba's goal.

Ian Holmes should have doubled the Eastwood lead two minutes later but Skiba managed to block as the striker latched onto a weak back pass.

In the 44th minute and with Farsley struggling to clear, the Badgers made it 2-0.

Bailey picked up a loose ball 35 yards out, went inside Serrant and rifled an unstoppable shot past Skiba.

Farsley could have scored on three occasions within the first two minutes of the restart but found Eastwood's giant goalkeeper Jan Budtz in tremendous form.

Dave Sayers was unlucky to see Riley clear his shot through a crowd of players off the line.

Budtz's first top drawer save came from a powerful Stammer header, which the keeper pushed over for a corner.

In the 54th minute, Farsley did pull a goal back.

A long cross into the Eastwood box after a quick throw found Gareth Grant unmarked at the back post and he planted it into the corner of the net.

For a time, Eastwood lived dangerously. Lee Ellington's cross took two deflections on the way through but Butz pushed it clear.

He then denied Sayers with another excellent save from a header.

Eastwood hit back and Tom Hirst blocked Holmes' shot after he combined with Knox.

The same player fired wide from the edge of the box as the strikers started to ease the pressure on the back four.

As the clock ticked down, Mark Jackson made an important block to stop Holmes from finding the unmarked Knox but Eastwood held on for an important win.

EASTWOOD TOWN: Budtz, Turner, Riley, Nwadike, McAughtrie, Cook, Bailey (Gardner, 76), M Foster, Knox, Holmes, Meikle. Other subs: Robinson, Chambers, Whitehurst, Brown.

FARSLEY CELTIC: Skiba, Hirst, Serrant (Liburd, 84), Syers, Jackson, Radcliffe, Young, Krief, Ellington, Grant, Stammer (Shepherd, 84). Other subs: Bambrook, Pickering, Driscoll.

ATTENDANCE: 411.

REFEREE: C Ward.