Acton United 2–3 Marlborough United: Celebi steps up

Marlborough United have a habit of doing exactly what is required. They beat Acton United 3-2 on Thursday 20 August, and they did so via Erdem Celebi. He scored twice. It was a performance of clinical efficiency (mostly). He seems to have found a way to be in the right place at the right time, which is a useful trait for a striker.

The victory puts Marlborough United on 50 points. It is a tidy sum. Brixton AFC are trailing by five points, though their afternoon was slightly more bleak. They travelled to Kirkby FC and returned with nothing, losing 3-0. It is a blow to their ambitions, to be fair.

Celebi is not usually the sort of player who makes a match look like a light stroll. He is more of a bag of sand in the opposing penalty area, occupying space and causing a general nuisance until the ball happens to hit him. On Thursday, however, he looked quite purposeful. He did not overthink it. He simply put the ball in the net twice and let the others worry about the scoreline.

The next matchday arrives tomorrow. Marlborough United are currently operating at a level that suggests they know something the rest of the league does not. Brixton AFC will be hoping for a collapse, but Celebi does not look like a man who is planning to stop scoring. One for the future, perhaps, but mostly just a man doing a job. Heaton AFC and Wigston FC played out a draw, while Sussex Athletic were dismantled by Wednesbury. Those are details for people who enjoy the finer points of a league table. For now, the focus is on the man with the brace.