It took a while to get going, but once it did, control of the match switched between Celtic and Newcastle after goals.

Apart from a Liam Tongue free kick quarter of an hour in, neither side came close to a chance, though the free kick was deflected, the corner came to nothing. Another fifteen minutes passed before Tongue again popped up thirty yards from goal striking a low shot. It didn’t have a great deal of power, but blindsided by the crowd, the shot crept beyond Joe Slinn’s fingers. After the goal, Celtic shone. Slick passing and pressing across the park. Max Leonard twice went close to extending Celtic’s lead before the break, but narrowly over the bar and a decent stop denied him. Charlie Doyle almost opened his account with a shot flashing past the far post.

Celtic continued after the interval, their pressure eventually telling as the ball passed across the box, eventually coming to Jack Irlam who curled a shot in and doubled Celtic’s lead. However, the lead was restored to one moments later when Tim Grice fed the ball through for strike partner Nathan Barry to go one-on-one. He kept his cool and rounded stand-in keeper, Josh Ollerenshaw to half the deficit. Though Newcastle pressed and had the lion’s share of possession, solid defending kept their chances to zero, instead, Lewis Rawsthorn’s looping header almost crept in, but Slinn made the save, meaning, at the other end, Jake Avery’s chance right at the death could have changed the game, but he blazed over.