Match Report
Sign of wins to come


(Jump to Ian Barker's Report)

Ray Stanley Memorial ShieldWednesday, 07 August
Celtic - home Stalybridge Celtic 11 Hyde United Hyde United - away
Eastwood 8860 Foster (pen)
Penalties
Eastwood o
Potts o
Mayers o
Wharton o
Penalties
x Foster
o Evans
o Smith

x Brookes
PicturesIain Benson
Celtic started the game with great early pressure, camping in the Hyde half of the pitch. Good crisscrossing, one touch and flick passing eventually brought the ball closer to the goal. In the first ten minutes Celtic could have gone three up, had a little bit of luck been on their side. Fitzgerald, Potts and German all put well flighted crosses into the danger area, but first Hallows and then Eastwood could only send the ball around the outside of the frame. Parr was more unlucky as Potts' ball zipped in to the back post. As Hallows ducked to Parr's shout, Kev launched himself onto the ball, and would have buried it, had a Hyde body not been on the line to deflect it around the post for a corner - except, in a foretaste of things to come, it went for a goal kick.
 
Hyde gained a measure of composure after quarter of an hour, with the back four playing it among themselves, whilst Celtic were content to let them. This was a prelude to a patient build up, and eventually, Maddin broke free, and found himself with only Timons to beat. After turning inside the Ilkeston man, Maddin's shot was a poor affair, scuffed rather than connected, and it dribbled wide.
 
The Hyde back line continued to defend well, showing where Nolan has concentrated his efforts over the close season. Only a great block by Dominic Crookes denied Eastwood the opener on 21 minutes, when Hallows laid him off at the edge of the box. The well struck shot was blocked by the ex-Celtic defender (who was wearing a number 14 shirt with the 1 coloured in yellow!). The ball careered out to Potts who again fed the ex-Southport front man, who cleverly made space before unleashing a power-dive that Swannick put around for a corner. Though the corner was poorly taken to the near post, it eventually came back to Potts, and Crookes (the keeper) saved well.
 
The game then degenerated into a scrappy midfield tussle that only began to ease in the last five minutes of the half when German's excellent ball was met by the head of Hallows, nodding down to the right of the keeper who was going left. Peter Crookes somehow managed to stretch out a leg and save the day.
 
The second half started scrappy, and got bitty as the referee was forced to start reaching for cards to break up the feisty antics by both teams. But it was Celtic that emerged in the ascendancy, winning a couple of corners and then a free kick 35 yards out. Potts lofted the ball over the top of the two man wall, right to Eastwood's feet. Eastwood's turn a shot was fantastically executed, and looked like a training ground move. Unluckily it struck the bar. More unluckily as Peter Crookes flapped at the ball, Dominic Crookes reacted quickest to clear the ball from under Eastwood's predatory nose.
 
A moment of controversy ensued that saw Hyde take the lead. A whipped in ball from Maddin struck Riding's arm, and earned the visitors a penalty kick. It was a harsh decision, and on the hour, Foster stroked the ball to the right of Dootson, who had guessed the direction, but not the height.
 
More controversy was to follow. While waiting for a Hyde free kick to be taken, Foster emulated the Vinnie Jones / Paul Gascoigne incident. Riding's kicked out at Foster, and in the manner of these things, was spotted, and summarily dismissed. Again, a harsh decision by the referee, who could have had him substituted instead. Especially as Parr and Potts had both done crashing tackles, whilst several Hyde players had been guilty of 'ungentlemanly conduct' (i.e. kicking a man while he's down - literally).
 
Despite being the player down, Celtic showed great team spirit and returned to the ascendancy, pressuring for an equaliser. Both Timons and Hallows went narrowly wide from corners, and it only looked a matter of time. That said, as 90 minutes approached, it looked like the gods would not smile, until Potts won a corner off Swannick.Wharton took it, finding Denham (on for Hallows to inject some pace) on the far side of the box. Denham was immediately fouled - as he had been every time he got the ball. This time, a free kick was awarded, and Potts floated it in. Eastwood stretched out a leg, and steered it past Peter Crookes flailing arm. This time, his leg was too far away to deny Celtic a goal.
 
On so on to Penalties, as there was no extra time to be played in this not-so-friendly.
 
Eastwood stepped up first, still buoyed by his goal minutes earlier that had given Celtic this chance. He struck it will, sending Crookes the wrong way.
 
Foster placed the ball, and performed a little dance on the way to the spot, it didn't flummox Dootson, who went the right way, but it did earn the Hyde striker hoots of derision when he missed!
 
Potts wasted no time by blasting the ball past Crookes, before Evans instilled a measure of hope in the Hyde hearts, by slipping it just under Dootson's body as the Celtic number one flew through the air.
 
Wharton went for sheer power, which was fortunate, as Crookes put a hand on the ball as it went into the net.
 
Smith smacked the ball into the top of the net, which proved so effective, that Mayers emulated him to put all the pressure onto new signing Brookes.
 
Brookes looked nervous on his run up to the ball, and he went well wide, with Dootson again, for the fifth corner in a row, guessing the right way.
 
With that miss, Celtic retained the Ray Stanley Memorial Shield for the second year running. A sign of wins to come?
 
The downside was the Riding sending off. He will now miss the first four games of the season.
Celtic Line-up: Dootson, German, Fitzgerald, Riding (S/o), Timons, Mayers, Potts, Parr, Hallows (Denham), Eastwood, Wharton
Unused Subs: Bowker, Wynn, Westwood

Pictures Courtesy of
Edward Garvey Photography
Professional Sports Photography. E-mail garvey@btinternet.com

Edward Garvey Photography
Chris Timons lifts the shield

Edward Garvey Photography
Jerome Fitzgerald shields
Edward Garvey Photography
Kev Parr and Dave Ridings 
both beat the Hyde man
Edward Garvey Photography
Colin Potts looks for a way 
through

Edward Garvey Photography
Professional Sports Photography. E-mail garvey@btinternet.com

Ray Stanley Memorial ShieldWednesday, 07 August
Celtic - home Stalybridge Celtic 11 Hyde United Hyde United - away
Eastwood 8860 Foster (pen)
Penalties
Eastwood o
Potts o
Mayers o
Wharton o
Penalties
x Foster
o Evans
o Smith

x Brookes
PicturesIan Barker
For the second time in three days Hyde United were involved in a non-too-friendly friendly. The referee tonight however chose to get in some card practice and ended up booking two Hyde players and sending off Celtic defender Dave Ridings for an off-the-ball incident. Hyde striker Steve Foster was apparently holding Mr Ridings by his manhood, Dave gave him a hack in the calf and away he went.

Football-wise, it was refreshing to see Celtic's defence looking much more secure. Kenny Mayers came in to partner Chris Timons, and only once did Hyde manage to penetrate the back line, when Foster broke into the box in the 20th minute before scuffing his shot wide.

That apart, Craig Dootson was little more than a spectator as Celtic's settled side stroked the ball around and created a number of good chances. The best first half opportunity fell to Marcus Hallows whose downward header from a Potts cross struck the keeper's ankle when it seemed certain to cross the line.

Phil Eastwood, though consistently disappointing with his first touch, was always a threat and can turn a defender in a flash. Twice in this match he bewildered his marker and went close to scoring. His second half effort was a spectacular turn and shot which battered the underside of the crossbar, and flew down and away, much to Hyde's relief.

It was completely against the run of play when Hyde won a penalty for a dubious handball right on the edge of the box by Dave Ridings. Foster scored.

As time was running away from the home side, Phil Eastwood somehow connected with a ball at shoulder height and struck it on the volley high into the Hyde goal for what could turn out to be the season's most amazing goal.

And so to the penalty shoot out. Much to the relief of Celtic fans everywhere, it soon became clear that this season at least we have an abundance of reliable penalty takers.

Eastwood, Mayers, Wharton and Potts all despatched their kicks with aplomb. Hyde, on the other hand, might as well have been kicking plums, such was the quality of their efforts. One of their kicks was OK, another rolled down the centre of the goal and beat Dootson by its sheer lack of pace, the others were pantomime kicks which missed their target completely.

As Celtic emerged victorious 4-2 penalty winners, Kevin Parr punched the air. He knows more than anyone the importance of beating our friends from over the hill.

The most pleasing aspect of the night was the emerging team spirit. There was a collective desire to do well and to celebrate. It was apparent from the extensive pre-match warm-up right through to the post-match celebrations.

Consensus seems to be that the Blues are still short of one strong defender, but that in the main the squad is looking good as the new season dawns.