After the wealth of chances and total domination shown at Clitheroe, Celtic’s lacklustre performance at home to Bootle.

Although Bootle worked had to win the second balls, Celtic seemed devoid of ideas to counter it and precious few chances fell to either team, Benni Smales-Braithwaite having the majority of chances for Celtic, but lacking the power to trouble Tony Thompson in the Bootle nets. Bootle didn’t create much themselves, but they got a free kick and pulled out a move straight from the training ground, a player arriving at the back post completely unmarked to latch onto Ben Hodkinson’s free kick. The Celtic players did learn from that, as minutes from the end of the half a similar free kick in an identical area and the runner was picked up, forced into heading over.

Celtic tried to come back in the second half, Ellis Horan and Dylan Scott going close, but the best away defence in the league was hard to break down without a moment of magic that Celtic singularly failed to produce. As it was, Bootle hit on the counter and forced a great save from Charlie Monks as Ethan Gouldbourne tried his luck from a tight angle. As Bootle concentrated on defence, Celtic switched formation to 3-3-4 in an effort to force the equaliser. Sometimes Celtic were guilty of having too many people forward, Brandon Newell’s diving header through a crowd taking away a tap in from Max Leonard, forwards occupied the same area and Celtic looked a shadow of the team who’d destroyed Clitheroe. Celtic’s best chance of an equaliser came right at the death, a free kick in prime Smales-Braithwaite territory. Week after week they’ve flown in, but summing up the match, the kick flew wide.

The hunt for a Saturday league win continues…