Celtic required penalties to get past Abbey Hey in the Manchester Premier Cup. After a wonder goal in the first half was cancelled out by a powered header.

Celtic had a stuttering start, with Abbey Hey making the early running. Luke Jackson had a great chance inside ten minutes, his shot required Greg Hall to tip over the bar. Theo Bailey-Jones had a couple of chances, including him ending up in the net, sending the ball wide, before he got his best chance of the half, cutting inside and forcing Joe Lawton into a one-handed save, but it was a rare foray. When Hall dribbled out from his own box, leaving him stranded near the touch-line, Rhys Clooney spotted his chance. Despite being forty-five yards out, Clooney stroked a looping ball into the empty net. It could have been two when Michael Ibelo’s header from a free kick required a scrambled goal-line clearance from Dahrius Waldron. Celtic finished the half with another good chance, a snap-shot from Harry Benns producing a flying save from Lawton.

Celtic made all the running for the bulk of the second half, but it took fifteen minutes for that to turn into a goal. Benns whipped the corner into the melee in the six-yard box. Three Celtic players went for the ball, Cameron Darkwah getting the touch, powering his header into the bottom corner. Bailey-Jones and Aaron Grewall both found the space for a shot to save the game from going to penalties, but neither overly troubled Lawton. Clooney went close, Godwin Abadaki went closer twice, once past the post, one just over, and Domaine Rouse, right at the death, heading a hair’s breadth the wrong side of the post.

So it came to Penalties, with no extra time.

Raul Correia took the perfect penalty and Greg Hall saved from Rhys Clooney. Aaron Grewall fooled Lawton, and Greg Hall saved from Dillon Kirkman. Cameron Darkwah sent Lawton the wrong way putting all the pressure on Jake Dunford. A miss or a save, and Celtic were through. Dunford finally beat Hall from the spot. The pressure went onto Domaine Rouse. Score, and Celtic were through. Lawton guessed right, keeping Abbey Hey’s hopes alive. It came to Olaulu Odipe against Greg Hall.

Greg Hall made the stop and Celtic go through to the next round.