Stalybridge Celtic v Moor Green

Five Tame Sides were away today – and the Mossley “Booze Cruisers” were staying overnight @ Lincoln (so soon after Christmas – are they all lottery winners ??) – so it was to Bower Fold – via the usual route, only this timing the trip up from the Buffet Bar in order to answer a question on the Celtic Message Board. Anyway I left the Buffet bar at 1446 and arrived at the ground at 1504 (although this did include at least a minute wasted checking whether the group of fans behind me included the one who asked the question in the first place – it did !). Once again it was a wet day out at Bower Fold !





Groundhog Day at Bower Fold - see the Droylsden game below !

Celtic started the better, but the Moor Green number 11 Trainer was showing up well, and running at the Bridge defence – he soon realised that he’d got the measure of them, and on 20 minutes earned a free-kick which was cleared. A minute later he once again ran into the box – although his effort was saved, Anderson was on hand to pick up the pieces and put Moor Green in front.




Not the "Birmingham 6" - the "Moor Green 19"... including little Niamh.

The big talking point came when the Moor Green number 5 (Penny) clattered Ellington on the edge of the box – should he have walked or not ? I didn’t think he was the last man (there seemed to be a couple in the box), so probably the yellow card was about right. With five minutes to half-time the Moor Green keeper Lewis went from hero to zero. An excellent save from Krief was almost immediately followed by a slip in the box in front of Sykes – the ball continued to Ellington who smacked in the equaliser. The “Penny incident” had certainly galvanised the Celtic front line as they tore into Moor Green. There was still time for a couple more chances before the half-time whistle, but 1-1 it stayed.




So far so good (Celtic & Mossley) - half-time telly @ the "Hare and Hounds"

Five minutes into the second half – and another moment of slack defending allowed the Moor Green “bad Penny” to further upset the Celtic faithful by putting the Moors 2-1 ahead. The defensive frailties were there for all to see – however the attack was giving its all and there were plenty of chances for Celtic to equalise – and equalise they did with about 20 minutes to go when, following good work by Prince, substitute Ben Smith found himself enough space on the edge of the box to put one past the despairing Lewis – cue mass celebrations on the Stalybridge bench (relief ? “I’m still in a job ?”)

The game was heading towards a 2-2 – although Celtic spurned a couple of good chances through Prince and Ellington. Then, with 2 minutes to go, the proverbial “kick in the teeth” arrived – another defensive mix-up, another scrappy goal (and another for Anderson) – now that WAS undeserved, but that’s how it finished, despite some last-ditch efforts from Winn and Flynn.



Add your own caption - Celtic Manager John Reed.



..and who's that "duo" in the stand ???

A quick post-mortem in the “Hare and Hounds” – the defence…it’s all very well having an attack that scores goals – but you just can’t be giving teams the option to score two or three every time, hoping your attack will bail you out. Wandered down to the Buffet Bar with Jason, and dosed up on some Millstone “Tiger Rut” before the 1841 train back to Mossley – who themselves had contrived to lose 2-0 at Lincoln United – bugger….