The game started end to end with Arnison and McLuckie both testing Philips, and with Battersby forcing last ditch defending with a low drive, and Barlow's header off the corner just going wide. With Workington high on confidence from their recent 5-0 defeat of Gainsborough, and 3-0 cup win over Barrow, Celtic needed the early goal to cast a seed of doubt. It was Workington who got the goal though.
Hopper fouled Joynes outside the Workington box. Smart's free kick was well defended and Workington raced up field with the ball, Arnison drawing both Keeling and Meynell across, before squaring to his strike partner Jonny Wright who slid the ball home unmarked.
Celtic didn't let their heads dropped and had a great spell of possession, with some excellent passing. Briggs forced Collin into a good low save, and Collin was once again flying to keep out Barlow, whilst Torpey and Joynes went wide, with Joynes ruing his free header from a corner when, from nothing, Anthony Wright produced a thirty yard looping shot that Phillips watched sail over his head and clip the woodwork on the way in. Intentional, but a freaky goal, never the less. It should have been three for Workington when Arnison rounded the stranded Philips, with a lot of dithering, he gave time for Meynell to reach the goal line and cut out the shot.
Platt had a chance to drag one back just before the interval after Celtic got a corner from very little pressure and he was unmarked at the back post, but the ball span off his head and wide.
Platt and Meynell gave way for Barwick and Sykes before the start of the second half, but they could not change the fact that Celtic couldn't hit the target in the second half. Torpey and Woolliscroft both went close having beaten the keeper, and so it was Workington who extended their lead and it was a mirror of the first goal. Celtic had a free kick, did not work the keeper, and Workington moved the ball swiftly into an empty field, comical defending left Arnison unmarked at the edge of the box for Wright to cut back to.
Ellington replaced Battersby, and immediately forced last ditch defending at the expense of a corner that Barlow fired wide. Barlow got the goal moments later though. This time Celtic worked the free kick properly and Barlow used the outside of his boot to spin the ball past the keeper and into the top corner.
A sign of a Celtic revival?
No.
Anthony Wright hit the woodwork, before substitute Hardson was the recipient of a low cross to the near post, which he tucked inside the angle.
Celtic's home form is becoming something of a worry, with two home wins out of ten. This result was mitigated by some other results going our way, but Celtic still drop out of the top five, with a difficult trip to Harrogate to come, a place where we have never won, or even scored in our last four visits.
1 | Phillips, Paul | ||
2 | Woolliscroft, Ashley | ||
3 | Meynell, Rhys | > 45 | |
4 | Smart, Andrew | ||
5 | Platt, Nick | > 45 | |
6 | Keeling, Barrie | ||
7 | Torpey, Steve | ||
8 | Briggs, Keith | ||
9 | Barlow, Matty | ||
10 | Joynes, Nathan | ||
11 | Battersby, Richard | > 63 | |
12 | Ellington, Lee | < 63 | |
14 | Barwick, Terry | < 45 | |
15 | Sykes, Paul | < 45 | |
16 | Jennings, Connor |
1 | Collin, Adam | ||
2 | Hewson, David | ||
3 | Rowntree, Gari | ||
4 | May, Kyle | ||
5 | Andrews, Lee | ||
6 | McLuckie, Phil | ||
7 | Vipond, Shaun | > 45 | |
8 | Hopper, Tony | ||
9 | Wright, Jonny | > 88 | |
10 | Arnison, Gareth | ||
11 | Wrights, Anthony | > 86 | |
12 | Hardson, Andrew | < 86 | |
14 | Robinson, Dan | < 88 | |
15 | Langford, Andy | < 45 | |
16 | Edmondson, Darren |