Stalybridge Celtic 4, Vauxhall Motors 1

Apr 14 2008 by Alan Bartlam, Liverpool Daily Post

THIS defeat means that Vauxhall Motors will finish in the relegation places in Blue Square North – yet they earned the plaudits of many on the day for their attitude and well-meaning football.

Stalybridge Celtic, looking to cement their play-off prospects, got off to a near perfect start, scoring twice in the opening quarter. The first came on eight minutes when the alert Alex Meechan pounced on a back-header to slip the ball beyond the stranded Motors keeper Lloyd Rigby, who had an outstanding game.

A brilliant diving header from Paul Sykes doubled theadvantage and at that stage, it looked like the Motormen could be in for a very long day.

But instead, they suddenly started playing neat football on the heavy surface and took just two minutes to respond, as Peter Heler picked out the well-timed run of Tom Field on the left and he cut inside before firing homet.

From this point on, Motors played some fine football but were still found wanting in defence.

Celtic restored their two-goal cushion on 32 minutes when visiting captain Craig Robinson was receiving treatment for an injury on the sidelines that required a hospital visit, Chris Hall converting.

Motors continued to dominate the middle of the park after the break. Substitute Paul Taylor had a fierce shot cleared off the home line and Heler saw an instant shot saved by Celtic keeper Paddy Gamble low down by his right hand upright, before Rigby produced another superb save at the other end.

Celtic wrapped up the points in the 72nd minute, when a free-kick to the far post seemed to loop up off the shin of Meechan and into the net.

And before the end Rigby pulled off more heroics to deny Meechan and substitute Matty Barlow in quick succession.

VAUXHALL: Rigby, Owens, Holmes, McMahon, Griffiths (Dames 46), Robinson (Taylor 34), Field, Williams, Heler. Smith, Hannigan. Subs: Murphy, Macauley.