Match Report -
Celtic Win Away At Nantwich
By Debbie Taylor

Nantwich twice pegged Celtic back, but a last gasp winner saw Celtic record their third successive win away from home lifting Celtic to nineteenth.

Celtic got on top in the opening attack when Greg Wilkinson curled a superb cross for Connor Hughes steaming into the box. Hughes met the cross with a stunning volley that was too hot for Myles Boney to hold, the ball coming back to Matty Wolfenden who rifled in the opening goal.

Nantwich responded, searching for the equaliser, Courtney Wildin testing Jack Walton who athletically tipped his curling cross onto the bar. Moments later Joel Stair got into a good position but skied his effort well over the bar. A goal was coming, and it was a cracker from Sean Cooke, curling in a great strike from the edge of the box to equalise for the home team.

The game was end to end heading towards the interval, with Harry Clayton firing the wrong side of the post and Wolfenden denied by Boney one-on-one after Hughes had been up-ended in the box. Right before half-time, Harrison Holgates powerful run got him the space to pull the ball back for Hughes racing in to fire home Celtic's second.

Though it took a last ditch block on route to goal from Liam Dickinson's effort, Nantwich were right back in it after the restart. Jack Walton saved superbly from Jamie Morgan, but the ball came out to Matthew Bell who slotted home the loose ball in a mirror of Celtic's opener and the two teams were level again.

Both keepers were needed to keep the scores level, Walton athletically stopping Harry Clayton's shot, and Boney with an exceptional save to deny Dickinson's close range header off Oliver Robert's free kick. As the game headed towards the final whistle, Nathan Cotterill had the Dabber's best chance of the match to snatch the three points when Sean Cooke's cross found Cotterill a yard from goal. He tried to turn it in, but Walton pulled off the save of the season to deny him, pushing the ball into the bar.

Three minutes were announced for stoppage time, and that was just enough time for Connor Hughes to power past Jamie Morgan and fire in a low cross for Matty Wolfenden arriving with clinical timing to fire past a despairing Boney and take all three points.

The win lifts Celtic to nineteenth and means with our games in hand, we could break into the top ten, a thought unthinkable at Christmas.

1Boney, Myles  
2Morgan, Jamie  
3Wildin, CourtneyYellow Card 
4Stair, Joel  
5Bourne, Troy  
6Hughes, Casper  
7Mwasile, Joe  > 80
8Bell, Matthew  
9Clayton, Harry  
10Cooke, Sean  
11Cotterell, Nathan  > 90
12Mullarkey, Toby  
14McDonald, Clayton  < 90
15Cole, Jordan  
16Wakefield, Sam  
17Griggs, Danny  < 80