Cwmbran Celtic vs Goytre United

Match Report

Matchday Programme

Celtic went into their last game of the season with a couple of aims. To give departing Manager James Kinsella a good send-off with a win and to provide Alex Bonthron with the two goals he needed to win the Golden Boot as top scorer in the Cymru (South) League. Both were achieved in true “Roy of the Rovers” style!!

Celtic started brightly and took the lead in the eighth minute when Lewis Iles hit a superb dipping shot over Selway in the Goytre goal. Maybe this goal came too early in the game as, for the rest of the first period, Celtic sat back and allowed Goytre to control the game. Time and again it looked like they would equalise but some last ditch defending, good goalkeeping from Hooper and a fair share of good luck meant that Celtic went into the break with their slender lead.

Half-time: Celtic 1 Goytre United 0

The second half become a typical end-of-season game with neither side really producing the performance of which they were capable. Goytre eventually did find an equaliser when Danny Hillman found the net following a corner and a bit of a scramble in the penalty area.

It looked like the game would then drift towards the final whistle as a draw which, up to then,  looked a fair result. But then, enter Alex Bonthron!!

On 87 minutes, Lewis Iles picked up a ball on the left and his cross was met by Alex who expertly directed it past Selway into the corner of the net to get the goal that brought him level at the top of the scoring chart.

So that was that wasn’t it?? Oh no – in the eighth minute of added time skipper Andrew Larcombe found Alex just inside the penalty area and with a deft flick over his head and over the advancing Selway, Alex turned and headed the ball into the empty net!

Cue pandemonium as the crowd went mad and the Celtic bench emptied and raced to the corner of the pitch to congratulate Alex. It was unbelievable stuff as the referee blew for full-time, so Alex had scored the vital goal with the last touch of the game and the season!

It was a fitting end to a fantastic season for Alex and it provided the send-off for James that the players wanted.

Full-time: Celtic 3 Goytre United 1

MOM: Tyler Broom