Peterborough Sports take big leap towards National League North safety with victory over Farsley Celtic

Sports can almost start making preparations for a third consecutive season in the sixth tier thanks to a 1-0 victory over their opponents, who remain in the relegation places.

It was a much-needed and quick bounce back from losing by the same score to the same opposition on Saturday.

Sports dominated throughout but had to settle for just the one goal, scored by Dan Jarvis at the beginning of the second half. He has now scored twice in his last three matches.

The win moves Sports five clear of the Farsley in the final relegation places with only two games of the season left to play. They have moved up to 16th in the table and still have a further four sides separating them and their visitors on Tuesday night.

This means that Sports can mathematically confirm their safety on Saturday when they travel to Kings Lynn. Even with a defeat, Blyth Spartans and Farsley would have to beat Scunthorpe and Darlington respectively to keep Sports in the mix.

A small contingent of Farsley fans arrived at PIMS Park with ‘Barthorpe Out’ banners, in reference to their feelings towards club chairman Paul Barthorpe and would have seen little to enthuse them in a match where Sports took control from the start.

Elicha Ahui and Mark Jones returned to the line-up in place of Cuba Meyer and Michael Gash as Sports made a bright start.

After just four minutes, Jones saw a shot pushed right into the path of Jarvis by Zan-Luk Leban before the keeper recovered well to make a double save.

Throughout the first half hour, Leban was called into action on multiple occasions, having to push away two efforts well-struck efforts from Jones on the edge of the box as well as a further one from Jarvis.

They only warning sign of the first half came from a sharp turn and shot from Ben Atkinson. just inside the box, but his effort was lifted over.

Farsley finally appeared to get going after the break, with Ryan Watson and Connor Branston forcing Peter Crook to push their efforts round the post but that period of pressure came to an abrupt end when Sports finally opened the scoring.

In the 54th minute, Cambridge loanee Brandon Njoku showed excellent strength and hold up play before moving the ball across to Matt Tootle inside the box, he was then able to slide in Jarvis to power the ball home past the onrushing keeper into the bottom corner.

Njoku should have joined Jarvis on the score sheet minutes later when he peeled off his marker at the backpost, leaving him acres of space in the box but he could only rush his header from a Jarvis cross and plant if just left of the keeper for a simple save when he should have scored and could even have tried to take a touch before shooting.

Sports were able to comfortably hold on for a crucial win without ever really looking like adding to the lead. Conversely, they were hardly tested by an opposition who will be fighting for their lives in the final two games.

Sports: Peter Crook, Matt Tootle (sub Cuba Meyer 74 mins), Elicha Ahui, Connor Johnson, Ashton Fox, Rory McAuley, Dan Lawlor, Josh McCammon, Mark Jones, Dan Jarvis (sub Hugh Alban-Jones 81 mins), Brandon Njoku

Not used: Michael Gash, Matty Miles, Sidney Pereira