Match Report -
The end of a disappointing season
By Iain Benson
Reed's reign ended with a whimper, not a bang as Celtic finished the season with a summation of it. Trinity put in the effort to the end, gaining the result, despite the game being nothing more than a formality.

In an even first half, the opening gambit came from the home side; a long throw coming to Graves who took the first time shot forcing Bishop into a decent stop in the opening few minutes. Graves was handed another chance with a whipped in right side cross from Anson, but he headed wide of the mark.

Prince looked to be enjoying the sunshine, and displayed some of his fine footwork to the travelling horde of Celtic supporters, before whipping in a great ball for Matty Barlow, and had the on-loan Oldham lad been an inch taller, he would have opened the scoring. Olsen too had a few tricks of his own, and he curled in a fine cross for Sykes, but it was just behind him, Sykes recovered well and picked out Hume near the penalty spot, but though Hume took the shot it was narrowly wide. Hume was on target moments later when Barlow burst through the defence and picked him out nicely, but his thunderous shot was straight at Sollitt in the Trinity nets.

The second half continued in the same vein with an ebb and flow. Prince put in a great cross for Barlow, but the exceptionally tall, and ironically named, Lowe beat him to the header, just. Celtic's best chance of the half came after an exceptional run from Prince, weaving and dodging challenges flying in from both sides, before putting an inch perfect ball into the back post for Hume arriving, and only an outstanding blocking save from Sollitt denied Hume the opening goal.

At the other end, Kay almost gifted Trinity a goal when he tried a square ball back pass to Bishop leaving the Celtic keeper facing an on-rushing Graves. Graves was always the favourite and Bishop did really well to force Graves to go wide, before attempting to shoot whilst off balance and screwing his shot for an empty net embarrassingly wide.

As the game went into the final period, the home side remained focused, and the Celtic team just went to sleep in the warm sunshine. Mallon struck a sweet shot from the corner of the box, the ball thudding against the inside of the post and coming out to Bird, who struck it first time forcing a great reaction save from Bishop pushing the ball out. Trinity kept coming, and Anson was allowed to run to the near post; the defence were sucked in and he put it across the six yard box to Mallon stood unmarked at the back for a tap-in that is the double of several dozen goals that Celtic have conceded this season.

A few minutes later and the game was over. Substitute Bird picked up the ball near the corner flag, looked to be putting a ball through the six-yard box, but as nobody got on it, the ball rebounded off the post and into the back of the net.

Celtic did have a chance of grabbing a consolation. Another mazy run from Prince before dropping it off to Smith who picked out the run of Maxfield (on for Barlow!) perfectly, but the makeshift centre forward shot over the bar from the edge of the box.

Celtic's final position then is eighteenth, and a disappointing season comes to an end. There is next season to look forward to, with a new manager, a new chairman and (possibly) a new team!