Celtic gifted goals at either end of the game, and just could not get the rub of the green throughout the rest of the game to get anything from it, and frankly should have been at least three down by half time.
A corner in the opening seconds gave Worcester their first league goal in weeks with a simple routine that saw Shabir Khan nod home simply from close range. The goal must have shaken Celtic as they didn't look their usual fluent self, there were a lot of balls over the top for Phil Marsh to chase down, after the first of which gave Marsh a chance on goal that Ryan Boot was able to claim at the second attempt.
Kristian Platt got even closer from a free kick that snicked the outside of the post, but at the other end, Ethan Moore should have scored. One on one with Matty Urwin, Moore's initial shot was really well saved by the Celtic keeper, but Moore got the ball, and had a gaping goal at his mercy and somehow contrived to knock the ball wide. Danny Glover had chance after chance too, and was even more profligate.
Phil Marsh was unlucky when he flicked Callum Warburton's corner past Boot, but Tyler Weir blocked at the back post, and Conal Platt created some space for a wicked shot that sped towards the top corner smacking back off the frame of the goal, leaving the visitors ahead at the break.
The second half could have started like the first had, with a simple header from a corner, but Kristian Platt's header was into the arms of Boot. Celtic were beginning to look more fluid, and Phil Marsh forced Boot into a cracking save, and Graham Hutchinson had to get his foot on the ball, almost diverting it into his own net to prevent Marsh from tapping home.
Khan almost repeated his first half goal, but for a cracking stop from Urwin. Another cracking stop, this time at the other end, when Boot prevented substitute Obi Anorou when one-on-one. Anorou learned from this, and when he got in the box with only the keeper and Khan to beat, he wrong footed Khan to cut back. Khan slipped and pulled Anorou down in the box. Definite penalty, and Kristian Platt smashed the ball past Boot to equalise.
With ten minutes left, Celtic went looking for the winner, but the ball just wouldn't fall for the Celts and the winner came in an unlikely manner.
A corner came in, and Urwin punched through a crowd, crashing with Anorou, the ball spinning down and falling at the feet of Daniel Nti who looked amazed to find the ball at his feet, but he didn't wait long, he stabbed the ball home in the dying minutes of the game to grab Worcester's first away win of the season, and their first win September.
1 | Urwin, Matthew | ||
2 | Buckley, Tom | ||
3 | McWilliams, Andy | ||
4 | Warburton, Callum | ||
5 | Tunnicliffe, James | ||
6 | Platt, Kristian | ||
7 | Pepper, Adam | ||
8 | Briggs, Keith | > 65 | |
9 | Marsh, Phil | ||
10 | Ennis, Paul | ||
11 | Platt, Conal | > 62 | |
12 | Anoruo, Obi | < 62 | |
14 | Hatch, Lewis | < 65 | |
15 | Mudimu, Alec | ||
16 | Bembo-Leta, Joel | ||
17 | Cookson, Jack |
1 | Boot, Ryan | ||
2 | Williams, George | ||
3 | Weir, Tyler | ||
4 | Khan, Shabir | ||
5 | Hutchinson, Graham | ||
6 | Deeney, Ellis | ||
7 | Williams, Aaron | ||
8 | Taundry, Richard | ||
9 | Glover, Danny | > 76 | |
10 | Moore, Ethan | > 69 | |
11 | Leslie, Steven | > 81 | |
12 | Nelson-Addy, Ebby | < 69 | |
14 | Regan, Matty | < 81 | |
15 | Nti, Daniel | < 76 | |
16 | Munday, Richard | ||
17 | Ashton, Harry |