Match Report -
Scrappy Game
By Six Yard Sam

Celtic went to the Turnbull on the back of a strolling victory over Guisborough in the FA Cup replay, and the confidence gained there shone through. Despite a swirling and icy cold wind, and despite the flying tackles of the locals, Celtic persevered and earned three points.

Both sides started out the day roughly even in the table, and this showed in that the play was a close affair with both sides going close, Williams bringing a class save from Dootson, and Ure barely testing him. Wharton, Potts and Pearce all brought the best out of Clementson, Wharton with a thunderous strike from outside the area, Potts darting into the box and being foiled by the keeper's legs, while Pearce's header off a corner was only just put around the bar.

The second half exploded when Foster and Veart tangled, the latter reacting badly and both getting carded once the referee had untangled the ten man brawl.

Just past the hour mark Todd slipped a ball to Potts who avoided a lunging tackle from Betts and lofted a superb ball into the box for the completely unmarked Mayers to head home.

Whitby tried an instant response, but Ormerod was unable to convert substitute Robinson's cross due to a top-drawer save from the Celtic number one, Dootson was beaten from the corner, but Keeling headed clear off the line.

Another bar-room brawl erupted after Wharton and Ormerod collapsed together in a tangle of arms and then later when Bowman was literally taken out by Linighan with a tackle high enough to send Bowman off the pitch on a stretcher and add to Celtic's injury woes.

Whitby tried hard in the closing minutes, but never looked like breaching the Celtic defence, and right before the death Potts produced one of his special free kicks curling it up and over the wall, and down well beyond the reach of the keeper.

Celtic's form on the day was exceptional, and Alfreton should pose no problem. However, Celtic's home form has been dire this season, and they've yet to win two league games on the trot.