Match Report -
Celtic go through thanks to a Hall header
By Iain Benson
Celtic progressed into the next round of the FA Cup with a very solid performance against a talented Hyde team thanks to an early goal from Hall.

Hyde started well, Cartwright whipping in a good cross for Clee who forced Gamble into an excellent early save with his foot.

Clee was then involved again minutes later when he bustled Hall to the ground just outside the Hyde penalty area. Roca took the free kick, nobody picked up Hall and he stopped in to nod the ball into the bottom corner, just beyond the reach of Dootson.

Hyde went for the instant reply, Cartwright dodging the attentions of Sykes to work an opening, and his shot forced another good stop out of Gamble, with Haran clearing at the back post.

The game was end to end in the opening exchanges, and Hall latched onto a Roca knock through, nodding the ball over Lynch which would have put him into the box, one-on-one with Dootson. However, a strong elbow into Hall's cheek flattened Celtic's top scorer. As the last man, Lynch should have walked, but he only got a yellow card for the elbow. After the free kick was half cleared to Winn, it was Lynch who headed the goal-bound effort away for a corner.

Tipton worked his way into an excellent position, dodging a lunging tackle from Sykes just outside the box and fired in a screamer that went narrowly over the bar.

It was an evenly balanced first half, and Barwick found Winn just outside the box, but his shot was deflected by Cartwright for another corner. At the other end, Sykes fouled Seddon just outside the box, and the free kick was to the back post where Seddon's header was tipped around for a corner to Hyde.

Both keepers were playing well, and Winn forced a decent stop out of Dootson when Ellington dropped the ball off to him just inside the box. Winn and Sykes both picked up bookings of their own, but Hyde couldn't convert the resulting free kicks as Celtic defended in numbers. Garner then picked up a booking for persistent fouling as he brought down Johnson for the umpteenth time, but again Celtic defended heroically to deny Hyde a clear chance.

The second half swung more in Celtic's favour as Hyde started to run out of ideas. Hall was fouled by Robinson thirty yards out, and Dudgeon headed the free kick over the bar. Ellington should have doubled Celtic's lead and made the second half more comfortable, when Barwick's cross was flicked on by Barlow, nodded down by Hall to Ellington, but his toe poked shot was exceptionally well saved by Dootson at close range. Roca found Barlow at the back post, he lobbed it to Hall at the back post, who touched it down for Roca, again forcing Dootson into another cracking save. Barlow again got a good cross in for Ellington, but Dootson reacted quickly, punching the cross away before Ellington could connect.

Hyde could have got an equaliser when Johnson wriggled free of Garner, but his shot was narrowly wide after crossing the face of Celtic's goal. Lynch raced up the wing and fed the ball through for Tipton to race onto, but his shot from distance was straight at Gamble. Simm should have done better during Hyde's best spell of the half when he danced around Garner and launched a shot from a narrow angle, but it hit the side netting.

Barlow latched onto Winn's through ball, and put it to Roca in acres of space. With Dootson closing him down, Roca went for glory and put the ball into the stand. Burbeary was brought on for Roca, and his first touch took him into the box, and gave him a shooting opportunity, but Dootson was equal to it. From the corner, Barlow got a flicked header on it, and it was another great save from Dootson to keep Hyde with a sniff of a chance. Winn lobbed a cross to Burbeary coming in at the back post, but he couldn't get the ball under control and fired over the bar. Ellington forced a corner out of Brass, but Haran headed Burbeary's corner wide of the post. From another excellent through ball from Winn, Burberry was looking for an opening when a last ditch sliding tackle from Davis put the ball out for a corner.

Hyde were throwing everybody forward as the game went towards stoppage time, and Davis went up for a corner conceded by Barlow, but put his thumping header well wide of post. Sykes was forced into heading a free kick over his own bar as Hyde peppered the Celtic box in the last seconds of the game. Gamble palmed away the corner, and Lynch's ball back in was over the bar.

Celtic survived the late onslaught from Hyde to go through into the next round.

It was a superb performance from every player in a Celtic shirt, picking a man of the match was impossible, with Gamble taking the plaudits for his early heroics.

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