Alfreton 0-2 Farsley Celtic
FA Trophy 2 nd Round Replay
By James Grayson
Celtic goalkeeper Tom Morgan was the hero after pulling off some fantastic saves to keep Celtic’s Wembley alive.
Celtic were under pressure for the first five minutes of the game but they were able to weather the storm and score against the run of play on six minutes. A Celtic corner was partially cleared by the Alfreton defence but Craig Bentham was able to put the ball back into the box. The ball hit Tris Whitman on the chest and fell nicely for Amjad IQBAL to hammer home from 18 yards.
Alfreton kept doing despite the goal and they looked dangerous especially at corners. A minute after the goal, Morgan was forced to tip over a Matthew Wilson header.
Alfreton were well on top by the 15 th minute but Celtic were able to sneak the odd chance. On 17 minutes Simeon Bambrook should have probably made it 2-0 when he was gifted with an opportunity. Bentham crossed the ball into the box and Bambrook was unmarked at the back-post. To the surprise of most there was no offside flag but Bambrook could hit the ball straight at Alfreton’s former Celtic keeper Kyle Sutcliffe.
Bambrook beat the offside trap again on 24 minutes but again failed to take advantage of the opportunity. This time it was Andy Watson’s cross and this time Bambrook headed the ball over the crossbar from 8 yards.
From certain angles in the ground it looked like Alfreton had equalised on 25 minutes. The loose ball fell to Danny Reet who simply hit the ball first time 25 yards out and the ball beat Morgan but luckily for Celtic the ball flashed wide.
Three minutes later Celtic survived again. Alfreton’s lethal striker Peter Knox was played in and looked set to score again, however somehow Knox put the ball wide of the goal 8 yards out.
HT 0-1
A minute after the interval, Celtic nearly made it 2-0. After the ball was put into the Alfreton box, Bentham fired wide from 8 yards.
Morgan who recently lost his place to Curtis Aspden was recalled to starting line-up for tonight since Aspden was ineligible got his first to shine on 61 minutes. From a corner Laurie Wilson shot low into the bottom corner from 18 yards. Morgan somehow got a hand to it claw it away from the goal. The Celtic defence then did its job and got the ball away from the danger zone. But Alfreton were back again seconds later and this time Reet’s shot had to be parried away by Morgan.
Alfreton looked set to equalise on 71 minutes but Celtic survived again. Firstly inside the danger area Knox’s shot was blocked by a Celtic defender but the ball unluckily fell to Reet unmarked a few yards out. Reet looked set to score but with only Morgan to beat he put the ball wide.
Possibly the moment when Alfreton realised they weren’t going to score came on 73 minutes. Alfreton’s star man Josh Law latched onto a cross and got the slightest of touches on the ball from 12 yards to seemingly guide it into the net. However Morgan was the saviour as his outstretched arm palmed the ball wide.
Morgan’s save was the turning point and Mark Hotte was brought on to tighten up the defence. Celtic boss John Deacey’s substitution proved vital and Celtic were able to go and get a second goal – and that is what they did. James Knowles played in substitute Colin Heath who beat the offside trap. Heath one-on-one with Sutcliffe chose not to be greedy and he squared to Damien REEVES who had the simplest task of tapping home.
The second goal killed Alfreton and Celtic were able to play the game out. Celtic will now play York on Sunday at Throstle Nest in the FA Trophy.
FT 0-2
Alfreton Town: Sutcliffe, McFadzean, Brown, M Wilson, Butler, Warne, Law, Walton (Barnard 80), Cusworth (L Wilson 43), Knox (McDonald 80), Reet. Subs Unused: Glass, Senior.
Farsley Celtic: Morgan, Jackson, Iqbal, Knowles, Bambrook, Reeves, Watson (Torpey 86), Tuck (Hotte 74), McNiven, Whitman (Heath 65), Bentham. Subs Unused: Grant, Stamer.
Referee: Mr. Procter-Green
Attendance: 268
MATCH STATS
ALFRETON TOWN 0 FARSLEY CELTIC 2
Iqbal 6, Reeves 80
2 nd Round Proper – Replay
TUESDAY 29th JANUARY 2008
KICK OFF: 7.45 pm
At The Impact Arena
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3 |
ON TARGET |
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4 |
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5 |
OFF TARGET |
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11 |
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1 |
BLOCKED |
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0 |
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0 |
WOODWORK |
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0 |
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3 |
CORNERS |
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14 |
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2 |
OFFSIDES |
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1 |
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7 |
FOULS |
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15 |
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1 |
YELLOW |
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3 |
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0 |
RED |
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0 |
