Northwich 4-0 Farsley Celtic

By James Grayson

Celtic crashed to one of their worst defeats of the season at the worst possible time resulting in Northwich blowing the relegation fight wide open.

John Deacey named an unchanged starting X1 from the side that drew 1-1 with Salisbury last week. On the bench Colin Heath dropped out and Simeon Bambrook replaced him.

By the 2 nd minute the score could have been 1-1 as both teams had goal-scoring opportunities. Inside the first 90 seconds Celtic should have the lead. Damian Reeves did brilliantly on the right-wing and crossed low into the box. The ball was claimed by no-one and it was eventually claimed by Rory Prendergast who was steaming into the box. Prendergast smashed the ball at goal but it was spectacularly saved by keeper Scott Tynan Prendergast and Steve Torpey couldn’t convert the rebound so the ball went for a goal-kick. The ball went straight down the field from the kick and Lee Steele latched onto it and unleashed a blistering effort from 18 yards. Curtis Aspden then produced a great save by tipping the ball over the bar.

Celtic were playing well and Tynan denied them again on 6 minutes. Reeves pounced to the ball after a Northwich defensive lapse and from 18 yards lobbed Tynan. Tynan seemed beaten but at the last second his outstretched arm took the ball for a corner.

The weather at Northwich was quite bad; wind and snow were the main ingredients. As a result, Northwich were shooting from anywhere. On 16 minutes Matty Crowell fired at goal from distance but keeper Aspden made a good stop.

After injuring himself 20 minutes earlier Tynan had to be replaced and substitute keeper Ben Connett did on 31 minutes.

Despite a good performance so far, the game changed on 39 minutes when Northwich took the lead. Mark Jackson couldn’t get his head to the ball from a cross. This allowed Mullan to blast the ball across goal resulting in Darryn STAMP tapping the ball in on the line.

Celtic had to work hard to keep the score at 1-0 before the break, however they failed. A minute into injury-time, Craig Bentham lost the ball on the halfway line and despite clearing it out of the penalty area, CROWELL took control of it 25 yards out and from there smashed the ball low into the back of the net.

HT 2-0

The second goal made it a long way back for Celtic and they never recovered. John Deacey made two changes, two minutes into the second half. He went for a more adventurous formation with Bambrook and David McNiven both coming on and going upfront alongside Reeves.

Northwich nearly killed the game on 55 minutes and had Jackson not been there, they would have done. Steele received the ball near the penalty spot and smashed the ball seemingly for a goal. But saving Celtic was Jackson who risked his life in throwing body in front of the ball and forcing a corner.

Celtic were struggling to get back into the game and on 64 minutes Northwich sealed the game in controversial circumstances. Dominic Krief conceded a free kick for handball on the halfway line. However the referee allowed Crowell to take it five yards away from the offence and while the ball was moving. Crowell passed to Steele on the right-wing in acres of space as Celtic players were stranded on near to halfway line. As a result Steele ploughed forward before eventually passing to Michael BRYNE who simply smashed home.

On 78 minutes, Aspden kept the score at 3-0 when he brilliantly saved Joel Byrom’s free kick. However Aspden failed to keep the score at three when Northwich capped the game off in the 93 rd minute. Michael Welch won the ball in the air on halfway line and it went past all the Celtic defenders resulting in STEELE snatching the ball before burying the ball home.

FT 4-0

-Northwich Victoria: Tynan (Connett 31, Meadowcroft, Welch, Belle, Mullan, Bryne, Crowell, Byrom, Brown (Horrocks 86), Steele, Stamp (Burns 73). Unused Subs: Bowler, Carr.

Farsley Celtic: Aspden, Jackson, Iqbal, Reeves, Scott McNiven (David McNiven 47), Downes (Knowles 62), Bentham, Krief, Torpey (Bambrook 47), Santos, Prendergast. Subs Unused: Backhouse, Stamer.

Referee: C D Sarginson (Staffordshire)

Attendance: 651