Match Report -
Celtic comfortable win
By Iain Benson
On this performance, Burscough look in real trouble, Celtic never had to sparkle in the game, and never really looked like losing against a team bereft of confidence.

Celtic started very well, and Battersby cut inside from the wing. He continued to approach the box with the Burscough defence standing off him as he got closer and closer to the box until he was in position to curl an unstoppable shot past Burscough's new signing, goalkeeper Dickinson. It could have been two immediately when Battersby tried his luck again, the defence not having learned their lesson, but this time, Dickinson pulled off a great save, the rebound falling to Platt who smashed his shot into the crossbar.

Burscough broke and Evans went one on one with Phillips who came off his line well, but after getting past Phillips Evans showed no composure and put the ball wide. After the wake up, Celtic tightened up at the back.

A foul on Ellington in prime Smart territory required a decent stop from Dickinson, as did the long range effort Smart put in as he came in from the wing, the ball tipped around the post for a corner. Williams tried a similar move, but he could not quite get enough bend on the curling shot, and it crept wide. Right before half time, a foul on Battersby was again in Smart territory and again Dickinson saved, the ball falling to Battersby who smashed the ball home for what he thought was his second, only to have it ruled offside.

Burscough managed to get some shots off in the second half, but as with Clancy's and Heler's early into the period, Phillips rarely had to move to collect them. Platt was unlucky for Celtic when he latched onto a loose ball and fired towards goal, with Dickinson doing well to get across to it. There was nothing Dickinson could do when Williams eluded both his markers to make some space and curled a shot past Dickinson in a replica of the one that missed, but this time with more bend, and it went the right side of the post.

Wild shooting from Burscough, before a bullet of a shot from Platt that Dickinson did well to see, let alone stop, and Joynes's effort needed more power to beat the Burscough keeper. Burscough kept plugging away, and Stanford and Evans both fired straight at Phillips before Brannan's long range dipping shot hit the woodwork.

As the game went into the final minutes, Celtic were still creating chances, and Barlow (on for Ellington) fired off a dipping swerving rocket of a shot that Dickinson not only saved, but saved well enough to prevent the corner.

Celtic were comfortably the better side, despite being without Briggs and Torpey.

1Dickinson, Steve  
2Thorley, Tom  > 62
3Clancy, SeanYellow Card 
4Moogan, Brian  
5Roberts, Dave  
6Wilson, Josh  
7Brannan, GedYellow Card > 89
8Grogan, Michael  > 52
9Evans, Tony  
10Stanford, Eddie  
11Heler, Peter  
12Shanley, Paul  
14Wade, Ryan  < 62
15Parry, Matthew  < 52
16Davies, Craig  < 89
17Lainton, Robert