A combination of good keeping, the woodwork and spurned chances meant that Celtic still can't beat Guiseley, but did produce a scintillating performance in the process.
It looked like business as usual in the opening exchange when Phil Marsh collided with Joel Bembo-Leta just outside the box, and Josh Wilson's free kick curled around the wall and into the back of the net, a very well taken free kick. A second free kick moments later couldn't repeat the trick with Wilson firing wide.
From that moment on, Celtic looked fantastic, and Guiseley looked distinctly average.
Mark Lees interchanged with Greg Wilkinson and Prince Heywood before smashing a great effort that had Steve Drench in the Guiseley goals well beaten but crashed against the post. Prince Heywood was put in by a great sweeping cross from Mitchell Austin, knocked down by Chris Hall, but he put his effort the wrong side of the post. A corner for Celtic from Warburton was scooped off the line by Jake Lawlor as it evaded everybody, but it just wouldn't fall for a Celtic player and Matty Wilson eventually hacked it clear.
Right at the start of the second half, Chris Hall did superbly well to bring the ball down and open a chance up, with Tom Buckley arriving at the back post, Hall took the shot, and Drench made a smart stop at his near post. He did the same moments later when again Hall out muscled the Guiseley defence and chose to shoot, with Drench proving his credentials. Mitchell Austin did the hard work with pace and tricks to get the chance, but fired at Drench, while Drench had to be even more outstanding to deny Hall's third chance, a through ball from Austin turned towards the far post, but Drench was there.
Celtic looked likely to score, and right after Greg Wilkinson fired weakly through a crowd, Adam Parkhouse, fresh on for Prince Haywood, he took on the Guiseley defence, burst between two and forced his way past a third before pulling the ball back from the by line where Mitchell Austin arrived to level the scores, smashing the ball into the back of the net.
It could have been the winner from Parkhouse when he repeated the trick with power and pace before trying for goal himself, his whistling, curling shot missing the target by inches. Right at the death, Celtic's superior fitness let Austin create the space for one last shot, which he curled beautifully, straight at Drench.
1 | Drench, Steve | ||
2 | Hardy, Aaron | ||
3 | McWilliams, Andy | ||
4 | Lawlor, Jake | > 78 | |
5 | Pearson, Andy | ||
6 | Bower, Mark | ||
7 | Carole, Sebastian | ||
8 | Wilson, Matt | ||
9 | Wilson, Josh | ||
10 | Walshaw, James | > 57 | |
11 | Marsh, Phil | > 57 | |
12 | Rea, Jack | < 78 | |
14 | Meynell, Rhys | ||
15 | Rothery, Gavin | < 57 | |
16 | Holsgrove, Kevin | < 57 | |
17 | Giles, Jacob |