Christopher Thomas

15 July 2000

Frankston Pines 0 Berwick Celts 8 The Celts had a comfortable win as they beat the Pines easily for the 3rd time this season. A scrappy first half saw the Celts slow to start but once Thomas Pinter put the Celts in front there was never any doubt about who the winners would be. Highlight of the first half was Lewis Maclean's first ever goal - a well taken volley from a Chris Thomas corner.

Kevin McCall made it 3-0 with a splendid left foot drive and Jack Grogan, scoring for the second week in a row, made it 4-0. Just before half time Pinter made it 5-0 with a high curling shot. The second half saw the Celts pile on the pressure and Chris Thomas made it 6-0 from a corner.

As the Celts kept attacking, Stephen Paton, Mat McInnes & Nathan Gaughan all had chances well saved by the Pines keeper before two goals from Stuart Patterson rounded off the scoring. Final Score Pines 0 Celts 8 Scorers for Celts Pinter 2, Patterson 2, Maclean, McCall, Grogan & Thomas. Best for Celts Paton, Grogan & Patterson

 

July 08 2000

Berwick Celts 2 Doveton 0 A good solid performance by the Celts this week saw them defeat Doveton 2-0 in a closely contested match. The first half was very even with both sides having plenty of possession but both defences were too strong and there were few clear cut openings. Doveton possibly came closest to scoring but the Celts defence held firm after a goalmouth scramble.

At the other end Jack Grogan Mat McInnes & Stuart Patterson all had good shots which were narrowly wide or well saved. The Celts finally broke the deadlock with an excellent goal 7 minutes into the second half. A goalkick from Stephen Paton was picked up by Thomas Pinter and he quickly turned and passed to Robert McGarry whose clinical finish gave the keeper no chance.

Five minutes later it was 2-0. Paton took a quick free kick and found Grogan free in the box and Grogan made no mistake scoring his first ever goal. This was a good all round performance from the Celts who deserved to win on the day. Final Score Celts 2 Doveton 0 Scorers for Celts McGarry & Grogan Best for Celts Grogan Paton & Pinter

1 July 2000

Berwick Celts 3 Peninsula Flyers 4 Three goals down after just 8 minutes, the Celts fought back to come close to an incredible victory on Saturday. The first half was a disaster for the Celts. An own goal in the first minute put the Flyers ahead and two more defensive blunders led to the Celts going three nil down very early on.

Gradually the Celts came into the game and this was largely due to the efforts of James Ashby, Thomas Pinter & Jack Grogan who refused to give up despite the deficit the Celts faced. After just 4 minutes of the second half, Ashby & Pinter combined for Ashby to put the Celts on the scoreboard.

Six minutes later a goal bound shot by Ashby was handled on the goal line by a defender and from the resulting free kick Stephen Paton brought the score back to 3-2. Almost instantly though the Flyers restored the 2 goal cushion when the Celts defence allowed a Flyers striker to walk past them and make it 4-2.

The Celts went back on the attack and with just 4 minutes left Pinter pounced on a poor goal kick to make the score 4-3. Despite a frantic last few minutes where the Celts pressured the Flyers goalmouth, there was no more scoring Final Score Celts 3 Peninsula Flyers 4 Scorers for Celts Ashby Paton & Pinter. Best for Celts Ashby Grogan & Pinter.

24 June 2000

Peninsula Panthers 0 Berwick Celts 1 Another splendid performance for the Celts and another deserved win. Right from the start the Celts attacked a much bigger Panthers team and totally dominated the match. For long periods the Celts attacked the Panthers goal and the Panthers keeper pulled off a range of quite superb saves.

Thomas Pinter James Ashby and Stuart Patterson all went close as the Celts peppered the Panthers goal with shots. However the score remained 0-0 at half time. The second half saw the Celts pick up where they left off and they put together a number of fine passing moves which opened up the Panthers defence.

It was midway through the half when the Celts finally took the lead. Pinter played a great pass to Stuart Patterson who rifled home a superb goal. Shortly after Stephen Paton rattled the post with a free kick and Robert McGarry went close with the rebound.

More chances came to the Celts but a second goal wouldn't come. In the end Mat McInnes made a great save in the last minute to prevent a Panthers equaliser. Final Score Panthers 0 Celts 1 Scorer for the Celts Patterson Best for Celts Patterson McInnes & Kevin McCall.

June 17

Berwick Celts 1 Berwick Lions 1 The Celts put in one of their best performances of the season and were unlucky to be held to a draw by rivals Berwick Lions on the weekend. This was a game of two very different halves with the Celts well on top for the first half but forced to defend for long periods in the second.

The Celts started the stronger of the two sides and controlled most of the first half. Midway through the half Thomas Pinter deservedly put the Celts ahead following a great solo run and shot which left the Lions keeper stranded. From then on the Celts dominated their more experienced opposition and could have gone further ahead with chances falling to both Robert McGarry & Stuart Patterson.

When the Lions did attack the Celts defence was rock steady with Stephen Paton and Chris Thomas both having good games and putting in vital tackles which prevented the Lions from having any scoring opportunities.

At the start of the second half the Celts should have gone two up. Pinter and McGarry combined well to give James Ashby a chance which was well saved by the Lions keeper. Ironically, from there the Lions broke away and equalised. Poor marking at the back allowed two Lions forwards free and they had no trouble beating the Celts keeper Matt McInnes.

This setback stunned the Celts and from then on the Lions controlled the match. The Lions had a succession of corners but the Celts defended well and there was no way through. Every Celts player put in 100% effort and this effort was responsible for reducing the Lions to just one more clear chance. When that chance arose, Mat McInnes was equal to it and produced a breathtaking fingertip save to put the ball over the bar.

Throughout the Celts side the players were fighting for every ball and tackling hard and this prevented the Lions from capitalising on their territorial advantage. Over the full game though a draw was probably a fair result. Final Score Celts 1 Lions 1 Scorer for the Celts Pinter Best for Celts Stephen Paton, Jack Grogan & Thomas Pinter.

Saturday June 3

June 3 Cranbourne Comets 1 Berwick Celts 3 After two successive losses the Celts returned to the winners list with a much improved performance on Saturday. From the start the Celts dominated this match and were unlucky not to win this match by more than 3-1.

Straight from the kick off the Celts attacked but it was some time before they took the lead. Good work by Robert McGarry gave Thomas Pinter the chance to open the scoring which he took with a hard low drive giving the Comets keeper no chance. Shortly after this McGarry and Stuart Patterson combined with a good passing movement but a good save prevented the Celts increasing their lead. Throughout the first half James Ashby was controlling the midfield and this led to the Celts dominating the match.

Cranbourne came into the match more at the start of the second half but resolute defending by Chris Thomas and Kevin McCall in goal ensured that the Celts retained their lead. As the half wore on though the Celts regained control and a good run by Thomas Pinter led to Stuart Patterson scoring from close range and effectively securing the victory. The Celts continued to attack and Patterson made it 3-0 shortly after with a shot which deflected past the Comets keeper and into the net. The Celts continued to create chances but were unable to add to their tally.

The Comets scored a late consolation goal but there was never any chance of them coming back into the match. Final Score Comets 1 Celts 3 Scorers Patterson 2 & Pinter Best for Celts Ashby, Pinter & Thomas

 

Saturday May 27

May 27 Berwick Celts 0 Cranbourne Meteors 2 For the second week in a row a substandard performance cost the Celts a match which they could have won. In cold and wet conditions the Celts performed poorly and were deservedly beaten by a side who wanted to win more than the Celts did.

The Celts started well and were the first to attack but never seriously threatened the Meteors goal. Stephen Paton came closest when his well struck free kick was cleared for a corner. As the half wore on though the Meteors gradually got on top and deservedly took the lead with a well struck shot from the edge of the area. From then on the Celts struggled and were on the back foot for the rest of the match. Shortly before half time Meteors went 2 up with a superb shot after the Celts defence stopped and watched after a ball had been half cleared.

The second half was more of the same as the Celts seemed to lose all sense of teamwork. Too many players were content just to kick the ball anywhere rather than try to pass to a teammate. The game was largely fought in midfield in the second half and it wasn't until late on that the Celts created any chances. Stuart Patterson had a shot which was narrowly wide and the Meteors keeper made 2 good saves from Thomas Pinter shots. Robert McGarry also went close but was unable to score from close range. Final Score Celts 0 Meteors 2 Best for Celts Jack Grogan & Chris Thomas

Saturday May 20

Berwick Celts 2 Hampton Park 3 After a good start to the season, the Celts came back down to earth with a thump when they were beaten 3-2 by Hampton Park on Saturday. Generally this was a poor performance by the Celts with perhaps only the midfield playing well. Defensive errors and poor finishing up front contributed to the Celts defeat. After a good start the Celts were rocked when Hampton Park took the lead with their first attack. A long shot escaped the clutches of goalkeeper Mat McInnes and rolled over the line to put Hampton Park in front.

The Celts responded quickly and were soon back on the attack. Following some pressure, Thomas Pinter latched onto a loose goal kick and slotted home a deserved equaliser. Within five minutes though Hampton Park were back in front with the goal of the day a volley from outside the Celts area giving the goalkeeper no chance. Again the Celts pressed forward and just before half time Stephen Paton equalised for the second time with a superbly struck free kick. At half time it was 2-2.

The second half saw the Celts completely dominate despite not playing well. The control & passing which the Celts have developed in training had disappeared, and many of the attacks broke down upon reaching the Hampton Park penalty area. Despite this, the Celts looked the likely winners until with just five minutes left Hampton Park broke away and scored an undeserved winner. Three Celts defenders all stood watching as a lone Hampton Park striker was allowed to walk through and score despite the brave efforts of McInnes in goal. A frantic finale saw the Celts involved in two goalmouth scrambles looking for the equaliser but it was not to be. Final Score Celts 2 Hampton Park 3 Scorers for Celts Pinter & Paton Best for Celts Paton Patterson & Ashby