Match Report -
Celtic Loss Away At Rushall
By Debbie Taylor

Celtic were undone by a penalty late in the second half, although had they taken any of the chances, that goal wouldn't have mattered.

The home side had the better of the opening fifteen minutes, with Dominic Dell firing well over the bar from a tight angle, and Will Hancox finding Joe Slinn in excellent form as the young keeper got down well to push the shot around the post. After weathering the initial storm, Celtic came back strongly. Theo Bailey-Jones cutting inside after picking up Greg Willkinson's through ball though Dan Crane did well to push the shot away. Both Jake Charles and Aaron Burns should have done much better, both putting a chances over the bar, the ferocious second effort from Burns only a whisker away. Oli Roberts's effort from just outside the box after last ditch Rushall defending was superbly saved at full stretch by Crane, and just before the half ended, Joe Garvin came close with a cheeky fifty yard lob seeing Crane well off his line.

The second half saw Celtic continue to carve out chances against a team seemingly more interested in defending than attacking, though the introduction of Zak Lilly gave them more options up front, and twice he called Slinn into action. Both Wilkinson's and Burns's efforts were well stopped by Crane as Celtic desperately looked for a way though. Both Andy Langford and Adam Jones put corners narrowly wide, before the penalty.

Zak Lilly was backing into Adam Jones at the very edge of the box, and went down. Jones protested and Rushall had already had a player booked for simulation. Whether it was a foul or not, a penalty was given, and Kristian Scott stepped up to take it, a wicked penalty that Joe Slinn did superbly well to get across to, palming the ball up into the air. It was up to the Celtic defence as the ball came down, but they were sadly absent when David Moli reacted quickest to slot home the rebounded ball.

Although there was fifteen minutes left, the best chance that Celtic could muster was a screamer from Jake Charles that needed a deflection to send it over the bar.

Goals come from converted chances, and Celtic didn't convert their chances.

1Crane, Dan  
2Duke, Charlie  
3Best, Ciaran  
4Lawrence, Liam  > 86
5Whittall, Sam  
6Probert, Lewis  > 45
7Hancox, Will  > 68
8Scott, Kristian  
9Moli, DaveYellow Card 
10Dell, Domonic  
11Mugisha, StanYellow Card 
12Murray, R,mar  
14McCalla, Jayden  < 86
15Waldron, Danny  < 68
16Lilly, Zak  < 45
17Brown, Jono