Match Report -
Celtic Draw Away At Marine
By Deborah Taylor

After getting their noses in front against a cagey Marine side, Celtic were unable to keep their noses in front; as neither side really did enough to win the game, a draw was justified.

The first half had precious little in the way of action. The only effort on target was Liam Hynes's forty-yard shot that was straight down Patrick Wharton's throat. Neil Kengni went close for Celtic, but not as close as Chris Smalley who's header from a corner was narrowly over the bar with Joe Hilton in the home goals rooted to the spot.

Marine were pegged back after Niall Cummins headed over from a Craig Carney cross, with Celtic scoring from their only shot on target when Scott Bakkor wriggled out from doubled up attention in the corner and burst along the touchline to get to the near post. With Hilton manning the near post, Bakkor picked out Dan Cockerline arriving at the back post shepherded by Chris Doyle, but Cockerline's leg was longer to smash the ball into the back of the net.

Celtic were doing a good job of containing any ambition from the home side for ten minutes, but Marine swapped formation and upped the pressure in the last fifteen. Wharton was called into action with Danny Mitchley's powerful drive from the edge of the box that Wharton had to block around the post for a corner. After wasting four of their previous corners, this time, Marine had packed the box dropping the ball into the middle. Celtic had two chances to get the ball clear, failing both times, until Danny Shaw managed to force the ball into the back of the net.

Although both teams had half chances in the last ten minutes, there was nothing clear cut and the points were shared.

1Hilton, Joe  
2Tattum, Sam  
3Edge, CharleyYellow Card > 78
4Shaw, Danny  
5Doyle, Chris  
6Hynes, Liam  
7Strickland, Kenny  > 70
8Irwin, Steve  
9Mitchley, Danny  
10Cummins, Niall  
11Carney, Craig  > 70
12Short, James  < 70
14Barnes, Sam  < 78
15Murray, James  < 70
16Elstone, Michael  
17Mended, Germano