Match Report -
Celtic Draw At Home With Buxton
By Deborah Taylor

After a first half in which not a lot happened, the second half exploded.

Neither side tested the keepers throughout the first half, though both sides came close, with Chris Sharp's powerful drive deflected wide, Matty Wolfenden firing a diagonal ball across the face and past the far post and Scott Bakkor's effort in the end too tame to worry Theo Roberts. At the other end, Callum Chippendale came closest for the visitors when he found the space for a shot, but though Paddy Wharton was worried enough to fly across the face of his goal, the ball flew wide.

The second half looked to be set to be more of the same until a hopeful ball into the box from Gary Gee meant for the head of Kayde Coppin. He didn't really connect with the ball, Michael Clarke getting his head on the shot, lifting it up and over Wharton. Wharton recovered well and looked to have smothered the ball on the line, meanwhile, Coppin looked to have fouled Clarke, at least in the assistant's mind, leaving a lot of doubt over whether or not the goal would stand. After a brief chat, the officials came to a decision and gave the goal.

Buxton looked to be trying to protect their slender lead, whilst Celtic tried to find a way through. This all changed when Neil Kengni burst down the flank only for Brad Roscoe to fly dangerously in. Roscoe was dismissed and Celtic had the edge. The last twenty minutes saw Celtic lay siege to the visiting box, Michael Clarke and Kengni both had efforts on target, but Clarke's shot took a huge deflection straight into the keeper's arms, and Kengni's low shot lacked the power to beat Theo Roberts. With Celtic attacking, there were gaps at the back, but neither Oli Roberts, nor Chippendale, could get any real pace on their shots from distance.

Matty Wolfenden came agonisingly close as Celtic kept upping the pressure and Kengni again went just the wrong side of the post with a low shot from the edge of the box. A corner came through to the back post, Clarke's return volley was back across the face and inches wide. Moments later and Clarke was getting onto a Scott Bakkor cross only for his shot to crash against the underside of the bar and be smothered on the line. This time, no goal.

As the final whistle approached there was a moment of magic from Greg Wilkinson. A pass so perfectly weighted and positioned that it sliced the visiting defence apart allowing Kengni to run onto the ball, showing great pace so late into the game. Theo Roberts came out, but Kengni dinked the ball around him and finished from a sharp angle.

The game was far from being over. There was still time for Theo Roberts to earn his side the point with an unbelievable save, getting across and down to palm away Bakkor's close-range tap-in from Liam Tongue's corner. The final act of the match was another Tongue cross in, this time for Dent, but there was no last second goal for Celtic as the ball cleared the crossbar.

1Roberts, Theo  
2Roscoe, BradRed Card 
3Brown, AlexYellow Card > 45
4Dean, Tom  
5Young, Greg  
6Young, Ash  
7Roberts, Oli  > 64
8Gee, GaryYellow Card 
9Coppin, Kayde  
10Oyibo, Jude  > 84
11Chippendale, CallumYellow Card 
12Sephton, Scott  < 64
14De Girolamo, Diego  
15Grayson, Brad  
16Meade, Josh  < 45
17Omotola, Tolani  < 84