Cwmbran Celtic
Match Report
We’ve done it and are safe from relegation after beating Llantwit Major 1-0 at Celtic Park!!
We started out knowing that we were in the box seat only having to match Penrhiwceiber’s result at Carmarthen. Mobile phones were keeping tabs on the that game and when Rangers took the lead in the 8th minute, our hearts pounded quicker in the stands. However, Mario van Dieren settled the fans’ nerves in the 14th minute with a superb header from Oliver Berry’s corner to put us in front. In the 22nd minute Berry was flattened by a smack in the face by keeper Lansdown who made amends by diving the right way to save Andrew Larcombe’s penalty. Isaac Powell was having a storming game at left midfield and in the 41st minute he latched onto a long clearance, cut in and unleashed a grubber which whizzed across the face of the goal. The visitors did not get a shot on goal until the 30th minute, the ball sailing well wide. They applied more pressure. Jennings headed over from a corner and a shot from outside the box brought a terrific save from Lewis Watkins, tipping the ball over the bar. We had two chances before the break, a shot by Bowen pushed away for a corner by Lansdown and a corner headed wide by Hodges.
In the topsy-turvy game at Carmarthen, Rangers had gone 5-4 ahead with 20 minutes to play. At Celtic Park there were no clear cut chances for either side until, on 86 minutes, Larcombe played Howells in down the right and his shot across the goal went just wide. News came through that Carmathen had equalised in the 89th minute. Celtic were all but home and hosed and they comfortably played out the 6 minutes of time added on. Considering what was stake in this game, the team deserve great credit for the composed manner in which they went about their task. Credit also to manager Simon Berry for rebuilding and pulling the side through after the calamitous upheaval in the transfer window caused the team to slump to last place in the league. Thanks also to the magnificent support team in the technical area. Well done everybody.