The two sides met in a sunny Springfield for a 12pm kick off in Division B of the Under 14 Central Scotland FDL. Celtic kicked off the encounter, but it was Jerviston who were quickly on the front foot, pressing the Celtic defence high up the pitch hoping for a mistake. They forced one in the second minute when confusion in the defence led to the ball falling to Tony Mullen in the box, but the strikers near post shot was easily saved by Blair McKay.

However, a minute later Mullen did not make the same mistake capitalising on another Celtic defensive mistake to pick up the ball, drive goalward and smash past a helpless McKay. In the 7th minute Mullen scored his second of the game when he was well found rushing through the middle of the pitch on a Jerviston counter attack. He then managed to hold off his marker and retain his composure to slot the ball into the bottom left hand corner.

A minute later Celtic almost halved the deficit when Aidan Gallagher’s through ball found Sharo Abdullah on the counter attack. However, he was only able to get a flick on the ball, after being pressured by a combination of defender and goalkeeper, and his shot was scooped up by Dominic Leary.

As the first half progressed Celtic began to dominate proceedings with their beautiful Tiki-Taka style, with Jerviston looking to counter from a Celtic mistake with their high intensity pressing. Celtic’s pressure nearly paid off in the 32nd minute, when a free-kick found Robbie Neill in the box, but his attempt was well saved by Leary. Soon after that chance the referee blew the half time whistle, with Jerviston going into the interval 2-0 up.

Jerviston started the second half off as strongly as they played in the first and nearly went 3-0 up early on. A ball fizzed across the Celtic box found Robbie Tollan who was unmarked at the back post, but he was unable to take advantage of the open goal and smashed the ball against the post.

However, their sustained pressure paid off and a dangerous corner in the 46th minute led to a Celtic player accidentally heading past a despairing McKay, to put Jerviston 3-0 up. Celtic soon put a dent in the deficit six minutes later when Ryan Byrne found Abdullah in the box. The striker then cut inside his marker and showed excellent composure to poke the ball past the on-rushing Leary.

However, all of Celtic’s hope was soon killed off in the 55th minute with the clinical Mullen grabbing his hat trick. Cutting in from the left he breezed past the Celtic defence and into the D before unleashing an unstoppable effort into the bottom left hand corner, with McKay rooted to the spot. Four minutes later Mullen punished Celtic again blasting the ball through McKay at the near post, who despite getting something on the shot was unable to keep it out.   

Jerviston continued to dominate the proceedings and only a brilliant save with his legs from McKay in the 62nd minute prevented his side from conceding a sixth. McKay was not so lucky in the 69th minute however when Sean Battersby headed into the path of Mullen on the counter attack. The inform striker then kept his composure to beat McKay to the ball and score his fifth of the match in the dying moments, with the referee blowing the final whistle soon after.