Match Report -
A Game of Two Halves
By Debbie Taylor

Celtic put in a storming second half performance to come from behind and beat a determined Worcester City after a watery first half display from both teams.

Worcester shaded the first half, without ever really dominating, Charlie Reece having the first attempt in the opening exchange, without overly testing Alex Cairns. After Jordan Barrow twice went close, and Mitchell Austin joined him in the shots off target column, before registering Celtic's first goal-bound effort (for want of a better word!), Worcester took the lead. Tom Thonrley's through ball was picked up by Danny Glover and he chipped Cairns as the young keeper came off his line quickly.

Worcester tried to build on the goal, but without as much urgency, Charlie Reece and Greg Mills going close, while Rob Elvins put a free kick well wide of the mark.

Celtic came out of the dressing room fired up, and when Austin was tripped in the box by Lee Ayres, Adam Pepper stepped up and smashed the penalty past Matt Sergeant.

Austin, Pepper and Dennis Sheriff all forced Sergeant into decent stops as Celtic threatened to go on the rampage, and Greg Wilkinson almost put Celtic in the lead as he tried to turn in Pepper's ball over the top.

Despite the Celtic pressure, Worcester had a spell fifteen minutes from the end in which they could have won it themselves, Charlie Reece one-on-one, only for Cairns to bravely take the ball at his feet. Tom Thornley and Danny Edwards both got chances, but Cairns was there again, before Celtic finally wrestled control back from City and put themselves into the lead when Kristian Platt planted his head firmly on a Callum Warburton corner with only minutes left on the clock. The corner had been won after Adam Pepper's swirling curling shot was acrobatically tipped over the bar by Sergeant.

There was still time for Worcester to win it, until Elvins got dismissed for a second booking, though after Austin's second booking gave Worcester a dangerous free kick, it was fortunate that the shot couldn't clear the wall, giving Celtic all three points in a close fought game.

1Sargeant, Matt  
2Weir, Tyler  
3Deeney, Ellis  
4Thorley, Tom  
5Ayres, LeeRed Card 
6Rowe, Jacob  
7Breeze, Matt  
8Elvins, RobRed Card 
9Glover, Danny  
10Reece, Charlie  > 76
11Mills, Greg  > 69
12Whitehead, Stuart  < 76
14Edwards, Danny  < 69
15Birley, Matt  
16Taylor, Michael  
17Thompson, Glyn