Six goals, three penalties and two red cards

There is a romance to non-league football. The tight-knit ‘close to the action’ feel coupled with the relaxed and open layout of the tiny capacity grounds dotted about Britain have there own sense of magic, away from the glitzy ideals of the upper-echelons of the game.

Farsley Celtic’s ground - the Citadel - is a pristinely battered capture of the warming allure of lower league football.

There is just one turnstile shared by home and away fans - Boston United followers clad in a deep shade of yellow. Next to the singular turnstile is a large gate plastered with a peculiar attempt at modernisation. A large picture of a castle has been slapped on it, emblazoned with ‘The Citadel’ in a font straight from the Microsoft catalogue.

Through the turnstiles, the main stand is straight ahead and the away end for the first half just on the left. No non-league match would be complete without the switching of ends at half time.

Behind the main stand, where the grounds for most stadiums would usually end, is a patch of grass with a beer garden spilling onto it. This belongs to what looks like a cross between an old social club and a clubhouse.

It is a hive of activity, selling cans of Carlsberg, Dark Fruits and Carling for £2 from a cooler box full of water in the corner of the room. It’s not entirely clear why, as there is a bar with plenty of alcohol on draught, but it massively enhances the non-league ‘feel’ to the place. And what’s better, plastic cups are provided so you can take your drink onto the terraces.

One of the most inviting parts of the ground to view the game from is behind the dugouts, where there is a small open terrace consisting of two shallow concrete steps.

The dugouts themselves are corrugated iron and back into the terrace, meaning that some friendly or not so friendly fans can be on hand for a chat with the substitutes should they ever feel like it.

So pretty much everything to do with the ground was set for an authentic non-league showdown. All that was needed was a game to match it.

Farsley lined up in what seemed to be a 3-4-1-2, while Boston opted for a 4-3-3. Not exactly stereotypical formations for the level, but they helped make for an enthralling contest.

Boston took the lead twice with the home side coming from behind on both occasions. These four goals included two penalties, and were punctuated by several tasty challenges and angry player bust-ups.

This eventually came to a head in the second half just after Farsley had made it 2-2. A tasty challenge from Martyn Woolford of Boston prompted an angry response from the home side, leading to Woolford shoving an opposition player in the face. An easy red for the referee to give.

Then Boston’s manager played a small tactical masterstroke, bringing on pacy attacker Jay Rollins to latch onto long balls. A few minutes later, he’d done just that and won a penalty for the 10 men, who found themselves defending a 3-2 lead.

The home side were poor and inefficient in chasing the game, which ended up 10v9 after an injury and another red card. Then in the dying seconds, another long ball was slotted home to give Boston a 4-2 victory against the odds.

This prompted an angry exchange between a Farsley fan and the away dugout, which looked like it might have been caused by the celebrations of the fourth goal. Not only was the game entertaining, but the setting and surrounding of the match was the entry fee alone.

Generally, the result and standard of the match will be the main determining factor over whether it’s been an enjoyable day or not. At the Citadel though, it was a true non-league experience.

Yes it was fortunate that the game was exciting and certainly contributed to the experience, but enthralling games that go back and forth can be found at any level of the game.

It is a unique side of the game that should be treasured, a different way of absorbing and experiencing a football match. Hearing the colourful shouts from players and managers, the freedom around the ground and meeting three dogs at the match - these are not things that can be found at the highest level.

The result may not have gone Farsley’s way on Saturday, but they are truly delivering an authentic non-league experience.