Torpey took advantage and unleashed a swerving drive from outside the box that Puddy in the home nets fumbled over his own bar, with Briggs not connecting on the resulting corner and firing well wide. Joynes was getting into positions, and calling for the ball, and early in the match forced a decent stop out of Puddy. As the half wore on, Tamworth were getting chances, long passes from McAughtrie for Pritchard, Rodman and Right to latch onto and cause problems for the Celtic back line, and twice in the first half, Phillips came to the rescue stopping well from Rodman and Wright.

With half time fast approaching, the first half looked to be heading for honours even, until Ellington found the space in the box from a Barwick pass to drag the ball back to Torpey, who spread the ball across to Joynes. With Puddy well out of position, Joynes struck low into the corner, with the Lambs? keeper unable to get anywhere near it, to record the 100th goal of Steve Burr's reign.

Tamworth looked a little disorganised at the start of the second half, and Celtic capitalised, looking comfortable for their one goal lead. That lead was doubled when Barwick picked the ball up in the centre circle, and after beating one man with a deft touch found open space between him and goal, he surged forward, looked up, saw Puddy back peddling furiously, and unleashed a ferocious thirty-five yard strike that curved over Puddy and in under the bar, with Puddy clawing at air.

With a two goal cushion, Celtic relaxed a little, but that allowed Tamworth chances at the other end, with Sheridan's first touch after replacing Hildreth seeing him force Phillips into a good stop, before Rodman got behind Keeling and curled a shot past Phillips, only for it to strike the post.

Celtic upped a gear for the last ten minutes. Briggs found Barlow (on for Joynes), who surged past Lyttle and slipped the ball to Ellington. There were three defenders straight on to Ellington, and it looked like the pass to the debutant Meynell was the option as he came into the box; Ellington had other ideas, turned around one man, and curled the ball between the other two and past the keeper into the top corner to give the score-line a very healthy look.

3-0 was possibly a little harsh on the hosts, but Celtic were well worth the victory.