Goals change football games and Penrith were pegged back by a controversial penalty which turned their clash with West Allotment Celtic.
Penrith’s fine wins at West Auckland and at home to Easington Colliery had set up what manager Darren Edmondson was hoping would be a third on the trot against Celtic.
But on a day when several things didn’t go Penrith’s way they were beaten 3-1.
All was well, too, from the start as DJ Taylor fired Penrith in front after only five minutes.
Although not playing with the same authority, belief and fluency they had show in the previous two games the Bonnyblues looked comfortable.
Then disaster in the 37th minute when Celtic were awarded a hotly disputed penalty for handball by home skipper Matty Moynan.
To make matters worse Moynan was booked and that was to prove significant in the second-half.
Max Cowburn levelled for Celtic from the penalty spot and the visitors, who had looked to defend and break on the counter, got a huge boost when Christopher De Nguidjol put them ahead four minutes after the re-start.
In a stop-start second-half, punctuated by the referee’s whistle and sin-binnings, Penrith had Moynan sent off for a second yellow on 65 minutes.
Penrith were chasing the game with ten men and inevitably leaving holes at the back, which Harvey Walsh capitalised on with a third Celtic goal a minute from time.
To hear what a disappointed Darren Edmondson thought about it you can listen below:
