Stalybridge Celtic were left heartbroken on Saturday (11 March) as visitors South Shields scored a 96th-minute equaliser to deny the home side the win.

Celtic looked to be in control, having been leading by 3 goals to 1 with only ten minutes to go in the match, but two late goals from the away side meant both teams would come away with a point, with the game finishing 3-3.

The hosts got off to a perfect start, taking the lead after just six minutes through winger Harry Beeden, who pounced on a poor pass from South Shields defender Tom Broadbent and ran through on goal, before slotting the ball past the onrushing goalkeeper.

Celtic almost doubled their lead moments later, after Domaine Rouse played a long ball up towards Chris Dagnall, who laid the ball off for Godwin Abadaki to shoot, his left-footed shot was turned away for a corner. Just after, a shot from Domaine Rouse was parried away by the South Shields keeper, and first to react was Harry Benns, who grabbed his second of the game, tapping in the rebound from close range.

Just after the half-hour mark, the visitors struck back. A free-kick on the edge of the box was clipped in towards the back post by Martin Smith, and rising the highest was South Shields winger Dylan Mottley-Henry who headed the ball home.

The away side continued to create chances, with midfielder Lewis Alessandra coming close to equalising soon after, picking the ball up on the left wing and chopping inside on his right foot, before curling the ball towards the far post, his effort was turned behind.

Moments before half-time, South Shields would shoot themselves in the foot, when a poor touch from midfielder Robert Briggs left Celtic’s Chris Dagnall through on goal, Dagnall then took the ball past goalkeeper Myles Boney, who brought the forward down, resulting in a penalty kick for the home side. Up stepped Number nine Raul Correia, who made no mistake with the finish. An emphatic strike into the top left corner that sent the goalkeeper the wrong way restored Celtic’s two-goal cushion. Correia almost had a second moments later, when his long-range strike was saved by South Shields’ number one.

The away side started the second half very strongly and were inches away from scoring on 46 minutes, when a cross from Dylan Mottley-Henry was glanced goalwards by Lewis Alessandra, whose header was just a whisker wide of the far post.

The hosts had a golden chance of their own soon after when a corner from Theo Bailey-Jones was whipped towards the near post, and midfielder Domaine Rouse’s superb backheel flick was clawed off the goal line by South Shields goalkeeper Myles Boney, who was a busy man throughout the afternoon.

Then came a flurry of substitutions from both sides, with one having an instant impact, South Shields winger Jordy Mongoy, who turned in an inch-perfect cross by Jordan Hunter, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside.

The game had a real end-to-end feel to it for most of the second half, with the next chance falling to the home side. Forward Raul Correia played in winger Theo Bailey-Jones, who looked certain to score, but his near post-strike was tipped onto the post by the goalkeeper, a superb save by the South Shields man.

Five minutes from time the away side halved the deficit, with ex-Celt Darius Osei heading in a wonderful cross from the right from Dylan Mottley-Henry, who had a superb game.

In the 6th minute of added time came the heartbreak for the hosts, as Mottley-Henry found some space down the left, driving inside then cutting back onto his left foot, selling two Celtic defenders in the process, the winger then drove the ball across the box before the onrushing Jordy Mongoy, who had a goal ruled out earlier in the half, poked the ball over the line. Heartbreak for Celtic, who had dominated for large parts of the game and were leading by two with only five minutes of normal time left.

Despite the disappointing end to the match, Celtic can be proud of how they performed against a team that has only lost four games all season. There are plenty of positives to take from the performance and the hosts will hope to take some momentum from this result into their next match on Saturday (18 March), where they travel to the North East, to face Morpeth Town.

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