HINCKLEY UNITED 0 STALYBRIDGE CELTIC 0

Attendance: 573

By ANDY GIBBS at THE GREENE KING STADIUM

THIS was one of those games that proved goals are not necessarily a prerequisite for an entertaining game of football. It was a keenly fought, enthralling encounter between two of the league’s in form sides who matched each other in every department and it was fitting that both sides took some reward from the game.

The match was played at a good tempo throughout, both sides got the ball down and passed it at every opportunity, it was physical without ever looking like getting out of control and there appeared to be mutual respect between the players who seemed to enjoy the game very bit as much as the spectators.

Celtic came into the game having won eight of their last nine, but it was the home side who settled the quicker, Andy Hall’s early cross was cleared for a corner and from it, Connor Franklin’s shot was straight at Paul Phillips. Phillips was the busier of the two keepers in the first half, he turned aside Adam Webster’s shot at his near post after good play on the right by Matt West and then Alex Taylor was denied twice by the Celtic stopper, the second an excellent save to claw away the midfielders effort from close range.

Not that it was one way traffic though, Stalybridge always looked dangerous from set-pieces and twice Paul Ennis delivered corners that were headed goalwards by Steve Woods only to be cleared with a degree of difficulty by the United defence.

The first half was decent enough, but the game improved after the break. The Knitters had a good spell around the hour mark but failed to make their pressure count. Taylor enjoyed a good game in midfield and looked like he might score a stunning solo goal when his run through midfield took him into the area where he finished weakly when he might have passed to the well placed Webster. Andy Gooding curled a shot narrowly wide, West saw his effort deflected off target before the closest anyone came to a goal when Hall delivered a corner from the right, Webster’s goalbound header was kicked off the line by Graeme Law.

That signalled the end of United’s best spell of the game and within a minute Celtic almost went in front as substitute Connor Jennings got in behind the home defence and into the area but Chris MacKenzie raced off his line to block his shot. Warren Peyton then drilled in a sweetly struck shot from 25 yards that flashed off target before he delivered a free kick into the penalty area that found Woods, but the defender completely mis-kicked with the goal at his mercy and the chance was gone.  

United had just one more opportunity when Webster’s shot on the turn crept inches wide of the far post to leave Dean Thomas and his opposite number Steve Burr sharing the spoils.

HINCKLEY UNITED: MacKenzie, Taylor, Giddings, Lavery, Lister, Franklin, Hall, Gooding, Webster, West (Eribenne 81), Cartwright. Subs: Dillon, Hamilton, Roberts, Storer.