Match Report -
Celtic Lose At Home To Scarborough Athletic
By Deborah Taylor

A very dubious penalty handed the visitors the three points during a feisty encounter.

After an early scare, when Nathan Valentine's close range header amid a melee at the back post clipped the bar, before being hacked clear, Celtic opened the scoring with a full team move started and finished by Scott Wilson. He raced up the wing, laid the ball off to Neil Kengni, receiving the ball back again as he continue his run to get into the box. Matty Wolfenden was arriving at the back post, so Wilson lifted the ball too him. It was an awkward height so Wolfenden returned the favour and Wilson smashed the ball under Thomas Taylor.

Valentine again hit the bar at the other end, colliding with James Aspinall as they both went for the same ball, but as the ball came down, he barrelled full on into Aspinall. It was a tactic that continued and led to the goal when a soft foul was given, after an identical tackle the other way was ignored, allowing the ball to be pumped into the box from near the half way line. Aspinall couldn't get a full hand on the ball, almnost lifting it away from danger, but James Walshaw headed it back over the crowd and in under the bar for the equaliser.

The second half continued in the same vein, Celtic under aerial bombardment, but when they got to run with the ball, they carved out chances, Kengni with an early shot that required a full stretch save from Taylor and Liam Tongue's free kick narrowly wide. A launched ball from deep in the Scarborough half found Walshaw, who pulled the ball back for Michael Coulson, who made no mistake rifling powerfully into the back of the net to edge Scarborough in front.

Another cracking save from Taylor denied Ross Dent from a similar strike as Celtic hunted for an equaliser. Scott Bakkor was buffeted and battered as he tried to get down the wing, but when he did make it to the touchline, his low cross to the back post found Wolfenden arriving, the striker sliding in to carry the ball into the back of the net and restore parity.

And that's how it looked it would stay, until a long ball over the tops as Scarborough broke from a corner that Danny Brady had headed straight at Taylor. Wolfenden and Walshaw chased, Walshaw just ahead, but as they entered the box, Walshaw went down. Wolfenden said after the match that there was no contact, but the man in black pointed to the spot and Coulson stepped up to take the resulting penalty. Aspinall chose the right direction, but landed on the ball, making it squeeze under him and send Scarborough home with the three points, leaving Celtic in fifth and Scarborough top.

1Taylor, Thomas  
2Lacey, Josh  
3Merris, DaveYellow Card 
4Dean, Luke  
5Burgess, Kevin  
6Gooda, Bailey  
7Valentine, NathanYellow Card 
8Scott, LeonYellow Card > 88
9Walshaw, James  
10Coulson, Michael  
11Brooksby, Wayne  
12Morgan, Tom  
14Johnson, Jack  < 88
15Killock, Ross  
16Jowett, Jackson