Game off - Hednesford
Match Report -
Disjointed Second Half
By Iain Benson
Celtic failed to turn up in the second half, allowing Corby to get back into the game, and in the end, Celtic were fortunate to come away with a point after a first half full of promise.

All the early action was Celtic's, with Kristian Platt heading a corner over before Lee Elam fired straight at Aaron Butcher in the Corby nets after cutting inside very neatly. Craig Davies latched onto Elam's deep cross, but fired over when he should have done better. A goal was coming, but it came softly, Connor Jennings turning Tommy Jasczun in the box only to be dragged down in more of a tangle than a malicious foul. Jennings took the resulting penalty providing too much power for Butcher who got both hands to the spot kick serving only to help it into the back of the net.

Some good movement put Davies in, but he hit the side netting, and great interchange football saw Jack Rea feed Greg Wilkinson whose wicked shot was deflected just over the bar by Joe Wilcox. A distance effort from Scott Mooney was a comfortable catch for Jan Budtz, but he had to be awake, whilst Mooney was handed a glorious chance when Rhys Meynell and Budtz hesitated and Mooney nipped between them but put his lob over the bar. Platt got a second chance off a corner, but again went over the bar, whilst Jennings's smart effort from the edge of the box from an acute angle flew across the face of goal and zipped just wide. Rhys Meynell stayed up from a corner as Celtic finished the half stronger, but nodded Lee Elam's cross over the bar with Butcher stranded.

The second half started with Celtic looking disjointed. This gave Corby confidence and they grew throughout the half, with Celtic seemingly unable to string three passes together. Corby's goal came early in the half, after Celtic failed to learn from the previous first half corners that had seen a short corner routine put out to Jasczun. They did this again with the fullback smashing a twenty-five yard shot into the top corner.

Celtic did create half a chance as Adam Kay played in Craig Hobson, but Butcher was well placed. However, the majority of the chances fell to Corby, with Tom Manship heading over from close range on a corner, and Jordan Fitzpatrick firing only inches wide from distance. As the game went into stoppage time, there was a heart stopping moment as Jack Rea, seemingly under no pressure conceded a corner, but fortunately, Glenn Walker's free header was over the bar. Celtic broke with seconds remaining, and Phil Marsh played Connor Jennings in with a training ground move, but his curling twenty-yard effort was the wrong side of the post.

1Butcher, Aaron  
2Wilcox, Joe  
3Jasczun, TommyYellow Card 
4Dolman, Liam  
5Gulliver, PhilYellow Card 
6Manship, Tom  > 79
7Fitzpatrick, Jordan  
8Towers, Steve  
9Mooney, Scott  
10Diggin, SteveYellow Card 
11Walker, Glenn  
12Sansara, Netan  
14Ruddick, Liam  
15Johnson, Troy  < 79
17Drury, Jack  
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