Neil Parsley (left), pictured with assistant Mark Jackson, hopes Farsley AFC can end his hoodoo at Kendal Town
Neil Parsley will have a big smile on his face if Farsley AFC can win at his bogey club Kendal Town.
Farsley have endured disastrous trips to Kendal in the Evo Stik Division One North in the last couple of years and it is not a happy hunting ground for Parsley.
Asked when he last won at Kendal, former Guiseley and North Ferriby boss Parsley joked: “I think it was 1972.
“It is a horrible ground for me, right through my managerial career. Even at Guiseley it wasn’t a fruitful place for me to go.
“I think they are a good home side and from talking to the Spennymoor manager, Jordan Connerton is scoring for fun and we have a tough task to go up there and get anything on Saturday.
“It is a challenge and it is a burden we need to overcome and hopefully we can come out of it with something.”
Farsley are doing really well in one of the strongest Division One North line-ups in recent memory.
Farsley are fifth and have won three and drawn one of their last four league games.
Those matches have also seen a number of young players shine after injuries and departures caused a re-shuffle.
“I’d like to be a bit higher with a few more points,” Parsley said.
“We are where we are and we’re doing our best.
“At the minute, we are in contention (for a play-offs place) which is what we wanted.
“It is a massive league. I don’t talk about people’s budgets as all I do is work with the constraints this club gives me and I think we are competitive.
“We give everyone a game on our day and our points of 33 from 17 games is decent.
“It is a young squad compared with days gone by. We have had Dales’ (Ross Daly) suspension. Ryan Serrant has been carrying an injury for a while so he has been shut down for a month.
“Departures have hurt me. St Juste was a big blow as he’s a great player.
“Aaron Hardy will be out for the season, but other managers will harp on about injuries and suspensions, I don’t harp on because it would do a disservice to the lads who have come in.
“Young Luke Porritt has done well for us. Kyle Hancock has got an old head on young shoulders and he has acquitted himself fantastically.
“Tommy Taylor looks accomplished at this level in goal.
“We are a young side and results are decent at the minute.”
Farsley drew their most recent match – the 1-1 stalemate with Spennymoor Town at Throstle Nest – a result which Parsley said was fair.
“I thought we deserved a point,” he added.
“I think chance-wise we had the better ones. In the second half they had more possession and caused us more problems when they made the two substitutions.
“They were brave substitutions eight or nine minutes into the second half, but it paid off for them.
“Their movement was good and they pulled Spencer Harris and James Riley into positions they didn’t want to go.
“I thought we still looked a threat on the break and I thought it was a good advert for Evo Stik Division One North football.”