A set-piece gave Celtic the lead and it required a well-worked goal for Matlock to equalise as again, the Celtic defence looked strong.

Very little of what the home side attempted breached the Celtic back line in a game of few chances, though an excellent flying save from Greg Hall was required to deny Callum Chippendale’s snap shot on the run. Celtic’s attacking options were limited after Ryan Qualter’s clumsy foul on Raul Correia left the strike hobbling from the pitch. Even without a striker, Godwin Abadaki and Aaron Grewal managed to get into scoring positions, but neither seriously tested Jim Pollard. However, right at the end of the half, Ben Woods’s free kick sailed into the top corner to put Celtic’s noses in front. Kyle Harrison came close to doubling the lead in stoppages at the end of the first half, with a flying header off a corner that Pollard stopped instinctively, Harrison pushing up off the floor to head over the prostrate keeper, only to clear the bar too, leaving Matlock with a sniff of a chance.

Matlock came raring out of the dressing room, Alex Byrne somehow screwing his shot wide when through on goal, before Byrne’s excellent cross swept in behind the Celtic backline with Jordan Bennett leaping to half-volley his close-range effort into the bottom corner, Hall getting a hand to the shot, but unable to keep it out. Woods got two more free kicks within his range, the first cleared the bar, the second Pollard positioned himself well to stop. Though Celtic pressed for a winner, Matlock came the closest to scoring, when Reece Kendal nodded a corner wide of the mark.