[themaclad]

Garstang 5 Clark 3 Noblett pen Murphy Cleator Moor Celtic 3 Hammill 2 Dawson

Riverside Ground

Been a while since I have done one of these, foregoing the 5am get up to go to Millwall an afternoon in the sun next to the River Wyre was the venue.
It is that time of the season where instaed of having numbers against your league positin clubs get letters C, P or R in the case of Cleator Moor it was the letter R. Their opponents at start of play were also in the R zone but with one game to play after this one.
The home side had played on Thursday night losing to Ashton Town who were in the last relegation place below Garstang. The result was a 2-0 win to Town which put Garstang in the drop zone.
After a fairly even start by 15 minutes Garstang were 2 up sheer determination by the Garstang right winger didn't give up chasing a ball towards the dead ball line kept it in, left foot cross, near post header to the back post, Clark volleys home, second long ball over the top ball squared across Clark does not miss open goal
Garstang had another cleared from the line and another effort went narrowly wide, however the visitors were actually playing some good football going forward, Hammill looked a decent player as did the Number 11 and it was Hammill who fragged them back into the game with a big deflected shot which wrong footed the home keeper.
Getting on towars the break it look like Cleator could make a surprise comeback but fate intervened the visiting keeper collided with a Garstang forward obviously dazed needed to be substituted

With no substitute keeper the replacement was an outfield substitute, they nearly got to half time at 2-1 but another long ball over the to keeper came rushing from his goal missed his kick and Clark rolled in his third of the half.
That was the 100th goal Celtic had conceded this season.
Soon after half time it was 4-1 a bit of showboating from Celtic's captain didn't come off and the end result was a foul in the box. Penalty, Noblet scored although the outfield keeper went the right was, his dive was that of an outfield player in goal nt used to diving correctly/
Garstang hit the post but all credit to the visitors scored again Hammill left foot shot from outside the box



With six minutes to goal Garstang finally made the game safe Murphy wrong footed the statuesque custodian, however Celtic bagged a third right at the death through Dawson, scrambled effort
For the 94 of us that were there it was decent entertainment.
So with one game to go Garstang still in the dropped zone as Ashton Town picked up a point against FC St Helens in front of 675 fans.
Both Garstang and Ashton have to play Bacup in the last week of the season however add into the mix Bacup have to play five games in the last week due to playing in the middle of a swamp anything could happen through into the heady mix Daisy Hill are 2 points ahead of Garstang and 1 ahead of Ashton Town but have actually completed all their fixtures.

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