SATURDAY 12th APRIL 2008

STALYBRIDGE CELTIC 4 v 1 VAUXHALL MOTORS

BLUE SQUARE NORTH

This defeat means that Vauxhall Motors will finish in the relegation places in the Blue Square North, yet they earned the plaudits of many on the day, for their attitude and well-meaning football.  And their supporters who made the trip will remember this day for some time to come!

Celtic, looking to cement their play-off prospects, got off to a near perfect start, scoring twice in the opening quarter.  The first came on 8 minutes when the alert Alex Meechan pounced on a back-header to slip the ball beyond the stranded Motors keeper Lloyd Rigby, who had an outstanding game.  A brilliant diving header from Paul Sykes doubled that advantage and at that stage, it looked like the Motormen could be in for a very long day.  At that point, the visiting fans behind the far goal began singing “always look on the bright side of life” and suddenly their favourites did just that!

Playing neat football on a very heavy surface, that was under water on the morning of the game, they took just two minutes to respond, as Peter Heler picked out the well-timed run of Tom Field on the left and he cut inside before firing home with a right-foot shot.  From this point on, Motors played some excellent stuff but were still found wanting in defence, where injuries severely curtailed their promise going forward.

Captain Criag Robinson, was the first to be injured.  He was receiving treatment on the sidelines for a deep cut as Celtic restored their two-goal cushion on 32 minutes, when a neat through ball put Chris Hall in the clear and he converted from 12 yards against the ten men.  Robinson was forced out of the action and required hospital attention, with Alan Griffiths taking over the arm band.

But at the start of the second half, he too had to be substituted due to injury and Field took over the skippers mantle.  Nonetheless,  Motors continued to dominate the middle of the park after the break.  Substitute Paul Taylor had a fierce shot cleared off the home goalline and Heler saw an instant shot saved by Celtic keeper Paddy Gamble low down by his right hand upright, before Rigby produced another superb save at the other end.

Celtic wrapped up the points in the 72nd minute, when a free kick to the far post seemed to loop up off the shin of Meechan and into the net, such has been Motors misfortune this season.  And before the end Rigby pulled off more heroics to deny Meechan and substitute Matty Barlow in quick succession, on a day when a number of those in white shirts gave very positive performances, suggesting this relegation definitely has a silver lining with the future in the Unibond Premier Division in mind.

Vauxhall: Rigby, Owens, Holmes, McMahon, Griffiths (Dames 46), Robinson (Taylor 34), Field, Williams, Heler. Smith, Hannigan .  Sub not used: Murphy, Macauley.