Match Report -
Celtic lack guile
By Six Yard Sam
Celtic's trip back from Workington will have seemed far longer than the trip up after failing to convert some good possession into goals.

Celtic had the best of the early pressure, with Winn seeing a shot saved by the young Reds keeper, Taylor. However, Workington were a hard-working constant threat, with Anthony Wright getting around the back of Keeling to take the shot, fortunately going wide. Celtic kept their passing game going without really creating anything, until Workington only half cleared a cross into the box as far as Smart. With a crowded box it was an ambitious shot from Smart, but it found the tightest of gaps and Taylor must have seen the shot late, but did very well to get across and make the block, Burbeary latching onto the rebound and firing over the bar.

As the game looked in danger of stagnating, Anthony found enough space to fire a low cross through the box, with Reed and Wright sliding in; it only needed a touch from either to convert the chance into a goal. However, the half ended with only Celtic having had shots on target.

The second half started very badly for Celtic, still walking from the dressing room, Hewson's clearance found Anthony in a bit of space some twenty-five yards from goal. He looked up to pick out a pass and instead opted to fire a shot off. There was a deflection on route to goal that put the ball just out of Gamble's reach, and Workington had taken the lead.

The goal spurred Celtic into action, and there was more purpose about their game, but no end product. Workington defended very well, and the closest that Celtic came to equalising was when Sykes got his head on a corner, but nodded the ball over the bar.

Though a draw may have been a fair result, Celtic have Gamble to thank for keeping the score respectable, as Kenderick latched onto a Reed through ball and forced an excellent save from Gamble, who then punched away the resulting corner. From another corner, Gamble tipped away a close range header from May.

Celtic quickly need to learn how to break teams down. When we have come up against stubborn defences this season, we have been unable to produce the guile that will produce the goal. Given that Workington were playing with a rookie in goals, a few long shots like the one that won the game for the hosts would not have gone amiss.