Scottish Lowland League
Saturday, November 26, 2022
Excelsior Stadium, Airdrie

CELTIC… 4
(Quinn 21, Dawson 34 & 65pen, Brown 67og)

CALEDONIAN BRAVES… 4
(Butterworth 31, Forrester 42, Kelly 75pen & 76pen)

A double from Joey Dawson, a Ben Quinn strike and an own goal wasn’t enough to get all three points for the Celtic B team as Caledonian Braves bagged four goals of their own to take a point in a thrilling 4-4 draw at the Excelsior Stadium.

The young Celts took the lead after just 21 minutes when Bruno Davidson slid the ball inside to Joey Dawson. The big striker, unselfishly, back-heeled it into the path of Ben Quinn who made no mistake with the finish.

However, 10 minutes later the Braves pulled themselves level thanks to Zac Butterworth.

Celtic didn’t let that deter them in their pursuit of more goals and it was Dawson who bagged the first of his brace three minutes later after a lung-bursting counter-attack by Tsoanelo Letsosa.

Quinn almost made it 3-1 to the Hoops with four minutes left of the first half after a superb cross-field pass by Ben McPherson, but his shot went wide of the post.

A minute later and the Braves were level again, this time Scott Forrester firing the ball past Tobi Oluwayemi at the back post from a corner to make it 2-2 at the break.

Celtic got their noses in front again 20 minutes into the half when Dawson converted from the penalty spot.

Then, after Ben Quinn’s cross was deflected into his own net by Jack Brown to make it 4-2, it seemed the three points were within touching distance for the Hoops. But drama was to follow when the away side were awarded two penalties in the space of 90 seconds!

Marc Kelly slotted home from the spot on 75 minutes after Ben McPherson was penalised for a foul in the box.

Remarkably the referee blew a second time for a penalty just seconds after the restart despite Tobi Oluwayemi appearing to make a brave save at the feet of the oncoming attacker. However, the spot-kick was awarded and Kelly converted again to make it 4-4.

A dominant Celtic tried to get a late winner and Ben Quinn had a strong claim for a penalty when he was felled in the box in the dying minutes, but it wasn’t given and the match finished 4-4.

CELTIC: Oluwayemi, McPherson, Otoo, Robertson, Agbaire, Carse (Cummings 86), Davidson, Thomson (Anderson 59), Dawson, Letsosa, Quinn.
Subs: Dede, Clarke, Turley, Urse,

Honours even after eight-goal thriller for the Celtic B team