Quarter finals beckon as a piecemeal Celtic proved too much for Cammell Laird.

The cagey first half produced few chances, starting with a header from Theo Bailey-Jones for Celtic, unable to get over a corner. Raul Correia twice required Cammell Laird’s defenders to put their bodies in the way of his efforts, with Louie Lancaster also denying Bailey-Jones. Cammell Laird’s best chance of the half came from a Joe Donney distance effort that skidded awkwardly in front of Greg Hall, but the Celtic keeper recovered well and the half would have finished goalless, but Bailey-Jones’s ball into the box right before the interval whistle caused mayhem in the Cammell Laird six-yard box. At least two blocks, a handball and two saves as Celtic players tried to force the ball over the line. Godwin Abadaki’s turn and shot looked to strike Danny Stephens’s hand, but it didn’t matter as Domaine Rouse finally prodded the rebound over the line.

Coming down the slope in the second half, Celtic looked to double their lead. Harry Benns and Domaine Rouse both went close, before Matty Carson freed Godwin Abadaki down the line to run at James Dineley. Abadaki’s lob over Dineley from an acute angle nestled in the back of the net. Cammell Laird claimed Cesaire Lingouba was offside, but though he was in an offside position and Abadaki ran past him, Lingouba stayed motionless and didn’t interfere with play.

A perceived slight fired the visitors up, and they attacked in numbers and got a reward just five minutes later when a bouncing ball in the box bounced up off the ground and his Ciaran Summers’s forearm. Penalty. Kalif Koura took the spot kick, but Greg Hall again proved his spot kick credentials with a good save down low.

Celtic kicked on, with Rouse and Kyle Harrison both close to extending the lead, but Dineley made both saves, and then, Harry Benns finished the visitors off with a precision lob over Dineley that crept in at the far post with Rouse chasing it all the way. Things got a little heated as the snow started, but Celtic held Cammell Laird at bay without overly pushing for the last twenty minutes to avoid injury on an ever whitening pitch with thoughts turning to Saturday’s vital league clash at Nantwich.