Could Have Gone Either Way
By Debbie Taylor
The only difference between the two sides was that when Harrogate's chance came, they took it in an even game.
Paul Clayton twice went close early doors whilst at the other end Chris Simm pounced during a scramble, forcing Peter Crook into an excellent point-blank save. Clayton was on the end of a sweeping move for Harrogate, finishing with a diagonal shot that was part deflected and part pushed round the post by Tony McMillan at full stretch. Chris Simm was a longer pair of studs away from converting Adam Farrell's low cross, and Jack Higgins headed straight at Crook from a long throw.
Just before the interval, Brendon Daniels evaded the challenges to get down the touch line and put the ball into a crowd. A couple of attempts at clearing failed, a couple of stabs at goal also failed, then Danny Ellis put his foot through the ball and hit the underside of the crossbar and into the back of the net.
At the start of the second half, Dale Wright almost pulled Celtic level by repeating his Boston free kick, with a wicked free kick from thirty-five yards that curled in towards the far post, but hit the inside of the bar and came back into the keeper's arms. Both teams were defending well, and Harrogate didn't get another sniff of goal, although Jordan Thewliss got the ball in the back of the net by carrying on playing after the whistle had made everybody else stop. Celtic's only other chance came from Aidan Chippendale, who only had a half chance, and put the ball over the bar.
Celtic more than held their own against a team in the top five, as they did against Boston. They will need to do it again on Saturday when we face Fylde.
