Match Report -
Celtic Win Away At Scarborough
By Deborah Taylor

Celtic adapted to the strong wind in the second half much better than Scarborough and thoroughly deserved to snatch the three points at the death, moving closer to a midtable finish in the process.

The wind was so strong, Paddy Wharton's goal kicks were barely reaching the halfway line, whilst one of Tommy Taylor's bounced on Wharton's six-yard line and over his crossbar. Playing into the wind, Celtic were struggling, but Scarborough did not look like a promotion chasing team. It wasn't until the half hour mark that either team troubled the opposition keeper. Neil Kengni cutting inside but his low drive did not trouble Taylor.

At the other end the wind lifted the ball over the Celtic defence, Paddy Wharton got across to James Walshaw's initial shot blocking it, but the ball came back to Walshaw, who curled it around Wharton. Liam Tongue tried to get in the way, the ball bouncing in off him. Scarborough seemed content with that, with Michael Coulson blazing over, Walshaw's second attempt from distance barely saw Wharton move to catch it, and Greg Wilkinson getting in the way of Luke Dean's distance effort. Wilkinson himself had an effort go close from a corner, his low shot zipping wide.

The second half saw Celtic come at the home side from the off. Literally. Neil Kengni trying his luck from the centre circle, but clearing the bar. Michael Howard weaved through the box to latch onto Glenn Rule's ball, turning it towards goal, with Taylor doing exceptionally well to get across and block with his feet. Josh Solomon-Davies Howard went close before twice Dougie Nyaupembe forced Taylor into great stops, flying first to his left, then to his right, although he couldn't have known where the second save would end up. Taylor was in action again as Celtic just kept coming, this time, Danny Cockerline's power drive from twenty-five yards palmed away. Kevin Burgess managed to get his head onto a corner, the ball narrowly wide in what would have been an astounding own goal.

Chris Smalley got onto a corner, prodding the ball just wide of the mark, before Celtic's pressure told. Moments after Walshaw had Scarborough's only shot in the half, Danny Cockerline held off Ross Killock long enough to bring down Tongue's ball, laying off Scott Bakkor to burst into the box and drilled his low shot just beyond the reach of Taylor to equalise with minutes to go.

Celtic were well on top, and despite there being less than two minutes of stoppage time remaining, they were looking for the winner. Nyaupembe chased down a lost cause, ending in up in the diagonally opposite corner to where he started, keeping in a ball that he turned and put into the path of Solomon-Davis. There was no hesitation and he blasted Celtic into the lead.

There was still time for Nyaupembe to try for a gloss to the finish in the dying moments when he launched the last kick of the match towards goal, requiring another good save from Taylor, but it was a great performance all around from Celtic.

1Taylor, Tommy  
2Williamson, JamesYellow Card 
3Merris, DavidYellow Card 
4Dean, Luke  > 80
5Burgess, Kevin  
6Killock, Ross  
7Valentine, Nathan  
8Watson, Ryan  > 67
9Walshaw, James  
10Coulson, MichaelYellow Card 
11Lofts, Luke  
12Carman, James  
14Gooda, Bailey  < 67
15Merris, David  
16McNaughton, Flynn  < 80
17Morgan, Tom