Cwmbran Celtic 2–0 Blaenavon Blues FC — Match Report

On Friday night Cwmbran Celtic achieved their 3rd successive 2-0 win, against Torfaen rivals Blaenavon Blues under the Celtic Park floodlights. The sides observed 2 minutes silence before the game for Remembrance weekend, and former Welsh international Danny Gabbidon who played his junior football with Court Farm, unveiled the new dugouts which the club has had to install to enable their Women’s team to apply for tier 1 status. The referee, Richard Jeffries, was a goalkeeper in his playing days who played for Cwmbran Town, and for Celtic in 2009-10. The ground echoed to the sound of fireworks around the town at the kick-off and Celtic got off to an explosive start, taking the lead in the 3rd minute. A throw by Arthur Furness was played to Munya Mabwe by Daniel Camaj who took the return pass and crossed from the right bye-line to Evan Maidment who side-footed the ball into the net. The Celtic goal had an incredible let-off in the 9th minute. A long ball down the middle found Archer whose shot was parried by Lewis Watkins, The ball ran loose, Lewis got his fingertips to the ball which was cleared by Furness straight to Perry whose shot at the open goal from 6-yards hit the trailing foot of Terry Obeng and went for a corner. In the 15th minute Celtic took the lead after a comedy of errors involving Mabwe and Urio Hijambazapo who both tripped over the ball as they weaved their way through seven Blues defenders. As Urio fell he managed to touch the ball to Mabwe whose shot took a deflection past Rafter in the Blues goal and into the net. During the rest of the 1st half Celtic had shots on target from Mabwe, Higgs and Urio, all saved by Rafter, and Urio’s shot from distance flew just wide of the post. Blaenavon had 2 shots on goal one wide and one over the bar. In the 2nd half Burton and Perry brought fine saves from Lewis Watkins. For Celtic, Urio and debutant substitute Kev Al Doori, newly signed from Cwmbran Town, brought saves from Rafter. Celtic are now 7th in the table on goal difference and have 4 league games before they travel to Wrexham to pay Ardal North-East league leaders FC Queens Park in the FAW Trophy 4th round in December.