Celtic played a very defensive line-up, with Tim Ryan recalled in a sweeper role. This gave Celtic very little width, but Steve Brogan almost opened the scoring on his home debut in the opening seconds, with his shot flashing wide. Celtic absorbed everything Nuneaton had for forty minutes until Kyle Storer unleashed a shot from twenty-five yards that swerved into the back of the net with Jan Budtz rooted to the spot.
Phil Marsh burst into the box onto a Brogan through ball but though Danny Alcock was being tested for the first time he responded well, clasping the ball with a good stop. Celtic were forced into a change as Andy McWilliams raced past James Armson only to pull up with a suspected hamstring problem. Celtic re-organised, switching to 4-4-2, which unbalanced Nuneaton momentarily and they had Alcock to thank for a cracking stop as Hobson beat the offside trap and flicked the ball past him, only for Alcock to stretch out a finger tip and diver the ball out for a corner. Hobson then missed a glorious chance to equalise when Brogan's cross was punched skyward by Alcock leaving the goal gaping, but Hobson miscueued and the chance was gone.
After a dubious looking foul by Tim Ryan on Lee Moore, Nuneaton put the ball in the box, and Celtic just could not get it clear, and Justin Marsden punished this by getting the telling touch on putting the ball over the line. Celtic then switch to three at the back with Ryan off and Connor Jennings on, and though he got a corner with his first touch Celtic were struggling to break down a resilient Nuneaton defence until in the dying minutes Hobson unleashed a thunderbolt after good build up play, only for Alcock to deny him again.
Celtic didn't do much wrong but still couldn't work an opening.
1 | Budtz, Jan | ||
2 | Rule, Glenn | ||
3 | McWilliams, Andy | > 57 | |
4 | Ryan, Tim | > 70 | |
5 | Meynell, Rhys | ||
6 | Platt, Kristian | ||
7 | Rea, Jack | ||
8 | Brogan, Stephen | ||
9 | Marsh, Phil | ||
10 | Hobson, Craig | ||
11 | Warburton, Callum | ||
12 | Bembo-Leta, Joel | ||
14 | Woodhouse, Ashley | ||
15 | Ellams, Lloyd | ||
16 | Jennings, Connor | < 70 | |
17 | Davies, Craig | < 57 |
1 | Alcock, Danny | ||
2 | Armson, James | ||
3 | Forsdick, Simon | ||
4 | Noon, Mark | ||
5 | Dean, Gareth | ||
6 | Walker, Adam | ||
7 | Marsden, Justin | > 90 | |
8 | Storer, Kyle | ||
9 | Spencer, Danny | > 82 | |
10 | Moore, Lee | > 90 | |
11 | Hadland, Guy | ||
12 | Dillon, Chris | < 82 | |
14 | Sharif, Nabril | < 90 | |
15 | Matthews, Ed | ||
16 | Burns, Robbie | < 90 | |
17 | Oddy, Rob |