Match Report -
Honours Even
By Debbie Taylor

Worksop's home form this season has not matched their away form, whilst Celtic came into the game with an eight game unbeaten run. Also coming into this game was new signing Dean Martin, on his second stint in a Celtic shirt.

With Celtic's form improving all the time, this could be considered a top of the table clash, between two pre-season favourites, and both halves were an even fought contest, with Celtic shading the first half, and Worksop the second, but neither really dominated.

When Hawes brought Eastwood down just outside the area, it was a chance for Potts to continue his determination to stay in this Celtic side. He whipped the ball into the far post, where Bowker headed it back across the face, only to see Eastwood miss the target by a hairs width.

Worksop had an almost immediate reply, when Townsend raced down Dootson's throat, but couldn't control his shot, sending it over the bar.

The two sides traded blows: Fitzgerald and Potts interchanging nicely for the former to put a great ball in for Eastwood, only to see it intercepted on route by Linighan, and cleared. The same then happened down the far end, when Todd's cross was cleared by Martin ahead of Roberts. Eastwood found some space at the edge of the box, but his twisting shot skimmed wide.

Worksop won a free kick about 35 yards out when Fitzgerald was adjudged to have pulled Roberts back, Beesley's curling shot beat the one man wall, but was a comfortable save by Dootson, lacking any speed. Worksop came close a few moments later, when a great cross by Beesley was thumped into the woodwork by Roberts, with Dootson well beaten, but it was Celtic who took the lead when Eastwood's shot was spilled by McCarthy into the path of Mayers, who poked home a simple goal with his trademark aplomb.

Worksop responded immediately, with Beesley producing a flying save from Dootson, after Townsend had slid the ball into his path. Though the corner was cleared, Worksop finished the half the stronger, gaining back the territorial advantage they had lost by the slick passing of the Celtic midfield. With mere seconds left on the clock, Todd span a ball into the the box ahead of German's lunging interception, and Roberts launched himself in a diving header, driving the ball into the back of the net with Dootson unable to reach it.

The second half saw much the same in terms of play, with both sets of midfielders playing excellent passing games. Potts was instrumental in much of what Celtic produced, it was he that fed Eastwood (who shot straight at McCarthy) and he who fed Mayers with a peach of a ball right to his feet, but he poked it wide after doing all the hard work. Townsend was the trouble maker for Worksop, but he too was having trouble finding the target, putting the ball over the bar from Todd's squirted square ball, and he who cut the ball back to Todd inside the six yard box, only for him to be swamped by Celtic shirts, and the ball was pumped clear.

Fitzgerald was brought down heavily by Smith, who received a caution, but Potts' free kick was too close to McCarthy.

Though Worksop began to increase the pressure, it was Celtic who came closest to stealing all three points, when Potts put a ball right onto Mayers' foot only for the stunning volley to be tipped around the post by the save of the match from McCarthy.

After another heavy tackle (this time Smith was not punished) on Fitzgerald, Celtic replaced the winger with Caldicott, and brought Denham on for Eastwood, who had run himself into the ground. Caldicott was beaten whilst still getting his feet, and Roberts's shot struck the woodwork for the second time in the match.

This was an even contest, which saw a fair result. The injury to Fitzgerald was worrying, but Celtic's unbeaten run stretches to nine games. Accrington on Wednesday night will be a real challenge, and a chance to see how far the team has come from the 4-1 mauling they received earlier in the season.