Stalybridge Celtic

Reporter: Stalybridge Celtic
Date online: 19 April 2010

Celtic are unbeaten this week, after a week that has seen Dave Hankin and Michael Twiss released, and Jim Harvey give the strongest hint yet that he would love the Celtic job next season if the club will have him (by coming out and saying it).

On Tuesday we faced opponents, Northwich Victoria, and put in a great first half, with Connor Jennings forcing Curtis Aspden into an early save, followed by Jody Banim testing the visiting keeper as Northwich struggled to contain Celtic.

Jennings got onto a free kick, but fired straight at Aspden, and Matty Barlow had a glorious chance but fired over just before Celtic did take the lead. Jody Banim lifting a free kick over the defence, Joe O’Neill breaking clear with Aspden making the save of the match only for Matty Barlow to stoop in and nod his header into the back of the net. Though Mark Danks tried for an instant response, Dave Carnell wasn’t tested, whilst Aspden was being kept busy, with a super save from a drilled drive from Michael Carr, and another from Barlow as he looked to add to his tally.

Celtic looked the better team, with Banim seeing his shot deflected, and Northwich looked relieved to go in at the interval just a goal down. Northwich raced out from the restart, with nobody stopping Wayne Riley’s run, allowing him into the box, before he slipped the ball past Carnell to bring the visitors level with a gift of a goal.

Danks and Riley both went close as Northwich entered a purple patch, and Celtic looked rocky, and Johnny Allan missed a virtually open goal. As time started to run out, Celtic got their act back together, and Greg Wilkinson saw his rasping drive tipped for a corner, whilst O’Neill and Banim interchanged well, but O’Neill hit the side netting, but Northwich were determined to hang onto a point, and they did.

Celtic’s final home game of the season was against a team we inflected the first home defeat on, Eastwood Town, and, in the end, comfortably took a second three points off them. At the start it didn’t look like it would pan out that way, when Barrie Keeling stumbled and brought down Danny Holland on route to goal, seeing red for it, and gratefully watching Tom Marshall’s free kick miss.

Celtic had to ride their luck just after the sending off, with Lindon Meikle missing an open goal from close range, and Dave Carnell having to be alert from the same player driving in from an angle. As the game went on, Celtic looked the more likely winners, Graeme Law’s cross narrowly missing the heads of Connor Jennings and Joe O’Neill, whilst Matty Barlow could have opened the scoring, but his stretching shot lacked the power, and Andy Smart’s goal was sliced by Celtic attackers and Eastwood defenders alike and nearly bobbled over the line before being hacked clear.

Just before the interval, Eastwood saw Danny Holland beat the offside trap, but Carnell was on him in a flash and snatched off his feet, sending Celtic in at half time level. Eastwood seemed to lack ideas, and it was virtually one way traffic in the second half. Keith Briggs powered a header narrowly wide, and O’Neill guided Andy Smart’s free kick just the wrong side of the post and then fired Jennings’s pull back straight at John Danby in the Eastwood goals.

A goal was coming, and substitute Paul Ennis chased down and kept in a loose ball, pulled it back for Joe O’Neill, who made no mistake, leaving Danby no chance and O’Neill reached twenty-one goals for the season so far. In the final few minutes Eastwood pressed, looking for an equaliser, and though Carnell had to tip a Marshall free kick out for a corner, it was Celtic who very nearly scored in stoppage time, with Eastwood committed forward Keith Briggs carried the cleared ball the full length of the pitch only to lack the energy to get power on the shot and Danby saved comfortably.

It was the player of the year awards after the match. Greg Wilkinson took young player of the year, Joe O’Neill got the golden boot, whilst Steve Woods picked up a hat-trick of player of the year awards, with Manager’s, Supporters’ Association and Players’ Player of the year.

Paula and Syd White took the director’s shield for exceptional contribution to the club over the season, whilst the player of the year award as voted for by the spectators went to Joe O’Neill, pushing Keith Briggs into second place, whilst John Hardiker and Steve Woods picked up third and fourth spots respectively.

Celtic go into the last two games knowing the play-offs are now mathematically unobtainable, but with still a bearing on the outcome of the league.

Celtic play Northwich and a chance to get some momentum going for the final match of the season when we face Fleetwood in Fleetwood. If Southport can beat Alfreton on Tuesday then they will be four points clear, meaning any Fleetwood appeal would be irrelevant. But if they fail will mean that Fleetwood will be a stern test for Celtic on Saturday, as they will be trying to finish close enough to Southport to mean a return of their three points would see them crowned champions.

Hopefully, it will be done and dusted before then.

Results for the last two games:
Saturday 17 April Eastwood Town Home 1 - 0 ONeill
Tuesday 13 April Northwich Victoria Home 1 - 1 Barlow