Match Report - Vanarama National League North - Saturday February 28th, 2009 Sat Feb 28th 2009

Celtic have never lost against Redditch, and even after conceding a penalty, they never looked like losing today. In over six hours of football away from Bower Fold, Celtic have not conceded a goal, and in truth, Redditch hardly threatened.

In a good move, starting with Battersby, a perfect low cross was put through the box, just beyond the keeper, just behind the defence, Torpey snuck in and Lewis did well to get across and parry the drive, the ball falling to Barlow, but Lewis did even better to get back to his feet and block the second effort.

Moments later, and it looked like Celtic had self destructed, Robinson was tackled superbly by Sykes, the ball running across to Hand, who looked to have an empty net, until Meynell came flying through and took the ball away. An even more guilt edge chance was handed to them as Keeling attempted to claw his way past Robinson to chase after a loose ball going nowhere, and Robinson collapsed to the ground, definite penalty, no complaints, although Sykes thought it cheeky that Beswick had placed the ball a foot closer to the goal than the spot, and he moved it ? getting a booking. Beswick's penalty was low, but Phillips guessed the direction, and made a superb stop to keep his away day clean sheet run going.

Around the Redditch goal, Torpey found a little space, but his drive was past the post, whilst Briggs's shot barely reached Lewis, his second effort with more power, but past the post. A good shot from Hand on the Celtic goal was athletically tipped over by Phillips at full stretch, and the corner was wasted by the home side.

Just as it looked like the game would reach the break goalless, Celtic won a corner. It was played short, Torpey got it back, put the ball into the path of Bowler, making his first start for Celtic, and his shot was powerful, arrow straight and into the top corner.

The second half was, if not comfortable for Celtic, not overly taxing. Torpey forced Lewis into a full stretch save, but the short corner routine failed. Briggs caught Hand late, after the ball had been played, and got an immediately yellow card, whilst Battersby got one for a hard tackle; that made three yellow cards for Celtic in nine fouls, to no yellow cards for Redditch in eighteen fouls, despite the offences from both sides being similar, if greater in quantity from the home side. Redditch did eventually get a couple of bookings, at twenty-two fouls to Celtic's ten, Spittle and Briscoe were booked for late, behind tackles, Spittles sending Torpey off the pitch to receive treatment.

Redditch brought on replacement striker to try and salvage the game, his first touch was to get onto a Beswick cross, which required a very good reaction save from Phillips. Ellington came on for Celtic, to get some match sharpness back after his recent injury and his first touch was to fire high and handsome.

Redditch got desperate towards the end, and kept passing it back to Lewis to pump into the box, only to see Celtic bring it out again. After Woolliscroft was harshly adjudged to have fouled Beswick, Briggs kicked the ball in disgust and got shown a second yellow.

Although Redditch had the man advantage for the last six minutes of stoppage time, and Oliver and Robinson both had distance efforts go well wide, Celtic continued their away day supremacy and kept their 100% record going at Redditch.