Cleator Moor Celtic suffered a disappointing 4-2 defeat in their North West Counties League clash at Darwen last night.
It had started so promisingly with two goals in the first 20 minutes, but ended disastrously – both on and off the field!
The home side reduced the arrears just before half-time and two goals inside two minutes midway through the second-half put them ahead. They scored a fourth to wrap-up the [points four minutes from time.
But Celtic’s woes weren’t complete. On the way home a tyre blew on the motorway and they had to wait nearly two hours for repairs to be completed.
Manager Martin Mahone said: “That just put the tin hat on the night. The lads got home about 3-30 am and many of them were up at 5 to start work. The fact that we’ve had to play so many mid-week games away, and none at home, just makes our task harder.”
His son Tom had given Celtic the lead on four minutes with a clever free-kick round the wall into the bottom corner.
Then on 20 minutes in-form Jay Wetherill got away using his pace and went round the keeper to double the lead.
Against a strong home side the Cumbrians had deserved their lead but were caught out on 32 minutes with a well-taken goal from Ryan Steele.
The crucial moment came on 66 minutes when Wetherill thumped a 20-yard rocket against the bar. Callum Birdsall got to the rebound three yards from goal but his header was brilliantly saved by the keeper. From there Darwen broke and Leon Creech drove in the equaliser.
Two minutes later Creech put Darwen in front for the first time and it stayed that way until the 86th minute when Steele got his second.
Celtic are away again on Saturday when they visit Chadderton, currently seventh in the table.
Mahone said: “We had three players missing last night but I’m hoping they will be back for Saturday. But at 3-30 in the morning nobody was thinking much about the weekend!”
