A goal just before the interval seemed to knock Celtic for six turning and their second half performance was below par.

Things started brightly, a superb cross from Josh Solomon-Davies unlocked the Basford defence giving Dan Cockerline all the time in the world just outside the six-yard box. Perhaps he had too much time, when the shot came, defenders on the line deflected it out for a corner. Scott Bakkor tested Kieran Preston with a curling shot that needed the Basford keeper to scramble across goal to tip the ball around the post. From the corner, Cockerline reacted instinctively with the ball at his feet, stabbing forward, but again, defenders were in the way, the ball coming out to Glen Rule who smashed the ball straight back in, curling just wide.

Basford finally tried to be a little adventurous just before half time, a free kick outside the box was put out for a corner. The initial corner looked to have gone too far, but was given as another corner. This time it came to an unmarked Stefan Gallinski, former Celtic defender, to put the ball in off his hip.

Basford remained unadventurous in the second period, with Celtic probing gently for an equaliser. Michael Howard's dipping free kick was pushed over the bar by Preston, putting his next one wide. Douglas Nyaupembe fired a half-clearance back in from thirty yards his dipping effort just clearing the crossbar.

As though to show Nyaupembe how it should be done, when Paddy Wharton's punch to clear James Reid's cross came out to Terry Nash, the Basford substitute controlled the ball and smashed his shot straight through the crowd and into the back of the net.

It could have been worse, Courey Grantam's powerful effort was well stopped by Wharton to give Celtic a fighting chance for the last quarter an hour, but the closest Celtic came was deep into stoppage time when Liam Tongue got his head on Andy Scott's free kick , diverting it into the back of the net, only for it to be ruled offside, summing up the fine margins that Celtic are falling the wrong side of.