It looked like it would be a bright opening for Celtic. After keeping possession a cross into the box from Wilkinson was clearly handled by Gordon, the referee saw it too, and Ellington placed the spot. It was a reasonable penalty, but Collin made a good save to tip the ball away. Celtic continued to leave Workington generally chasing shadows, before Ellington overlapped Wilkinson brought the ball into the box, and looked to be curling it into the opposite top corner. Collin went flying to save it, only for Barwick to get a telling touch and put it in the near post instead. Collin amazingly did get a hand on the ball, but not enough to keep it out.
Just before half time, Torpey unleashed a thunderbolt that would have carried Collin into the net, but fortunately it went narrowly wide, before he did sting Collin's palms with a more sedate effort.
Torpey got his goal within seconds of the restart, spinning and jinking his way into space before firing a shot into the top corner that two keepers wouldn't have stopped. Celtic eased the pace after that, and it allowed Workington a few sniffs, but Hardiker and Sykes made a great pairing, with Smart and Battersby covering the gaps and making great runs. There were very little chances for Workington, mostly coming from set pieces. Arnison put a corner over the bar when he should have done better, and got onto a free kick that he also put wide.
Torpey meanwhile was setting out his stall for his summer soccer school with some mazy runs and he was unlucky not to get a couple more goals with shots that fizzed just past the uprights.
Just after the hour mark, Workington registered their shots on goal. A free kick after a foul by Sykes was fired straight at Phillips by McLuckie, giving the home team hope and setting them on their best spell in the game, but their accuracy from open play was woeful, and Phillips could watch Hardman and Arnison's shots go wide, whereas Ruttledge got onto a free kick, but Phillips made the save.
Briggs was unlucky not to score when he traded passed with Bowler before curling a powerful shot through the crowd and off the woodwork. Ellington looked to have got his goal after shoving his way through the crowded defence, but put the ball wide, and Torpey's could-have-been hattrick finished with a fine save from Collin denying the Celtic man.
It was a comfortable victory for Celtic, but in a game with nothing to play for but pride, Celtic had the most pride to play for.
1 | Collin, Adam | ||
2 | Langford, Andrew | ||
3 | Wright, Anthony | ||
4 | Gordon, Dean | ||
5 | Andrews, Lee | ||
6 | McLuckie, Phil | ||
7 | Hardman, Andy | ||
8 | Hopper, Tony | ||
9 | Arnison, Garreth | ||
10 | Ruttledge, Callum | ||
11 | Robinson, Dan | > 69 | |
12 | Main, Adam | < 69 | |
14 | Rowntree, Gari | ||
15 | Edmomdson, Darren |
1 | Phillips, Paul | ||
2 | Battersby, Richard | ||
3 | Smart, Andrew | > 76 | |
4 | Hardiker, John | ||
5 | Barwick, Terry | > 64 | |
6 | Sykes, Paul | ||
7 | Torpey, Steve | ||
8 | Briggs, Keith | ||
9 | Barlow, Matty | > 53 | |
10 | Ellington, Lee | ||
11 | Wilkinson, Greg | ||
12 | Meechan, Alex | < 53 | |
14 | Keeling, Barrie | ||
15 | Meynell, Rhys | < 76 | |
16 | Bowler, Michael | < 64 |