CELTIC endured a frustrating afternoon yesterday at K-Park Training Academy in the Scottish Building Society Scottish Women’s Premier League One, as they were held by the visitors from Stirling University.
After the high of the emphatic 3-0 opener to the summer season last week the Celtic fide were full of confidence going into this match but conceded straight away when Kay Morris netted from 25 yards for the visitors with their first attack. The Stirling goal was the result of some early match slackness in the Celtic defence but the error seemed to spur the Celtic players on and they responded brilliantly by getting the equaliser with a few minutes.
Heather Richards whipped in a free kick into the danger area and the ball deflected off a Stirling player and into the net.
It looked like this was going to be a high scoring encounter but despite Celtic taking the game to Stirling University for the rest of the game , a combination of bad luck and poor finishing meant that the visitors held on for a point.
Colette Cavanagh came close to putting Celtic ahead. She cut inside cleverly and fired her shot off the Stirling crossbar from long range. In what was a stuffy encounter Celtic created the memorable chances and Nicole Pullar thought that she was in when she intercepted a short pass-back but her shot was saved by the on-rushing keeper.
Celtic won a series of corners at the start of the second half but failed to threaten the visitors’ goal. Rush Littlejohn had an effort after good work from Keeva Keenan, but she failed to hit the target with her shot.
Things were becoming increasing desperate for the home side as they piled on the pressure in the closing stages in search of a winner. And Celtic almost paid the price for pushing players forward when Stirling hit them on the counter and almost grabbed an lead.
It would have been unfair on Celtic, who tried to the end to breach the stubborn Stirling defence but with no further scoring, the referee blew for time up and the game ended Celtic 1 Stirling University 1.
Celtic are back in action this Sunday, February 25, in the SWPL Cup against St Johnstone at the K-Park Training Academy (KO: 2pm).
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Heather Richards
CELTIC: Cunningham, Keevans, Rafferty, McCulloch, Connor (Donaldson), Clark, Adams (Fulton), Littlejohn, Cavanagh (Crosbie), Richards, Pullar.
Unused Subs:: Gibson, Ewens.
