A CHAMPIONSHIP decider on the opening day of the season?

It might sound bizarre but such has been the dominance of these two sides in recent years that the outcome of any match is sure to have a significance - no matter when it is played.

However both sides were a shadow of the ones that dominanted the league last season with league champions Ewood missing seven players and Cup holders Celtic with four out.

Celtic's manager Graham Shackleton was so eager to play he removed seven stitches from his head with a scalpel on the morning of the game.

But Garry Walsh's makeshift side did him proud and it was the return of Ewood old boy Mick Angland who made all the difference - and watching friends begrudgingly voted him man-of-the-match.

The flying fireman was on fire and set alarm bells ringing in the Celtic defence every time he got the ball wide out on the left.

'Angy' made one, scored one and if he had a right foot he would have grabbed a second!

Apart from a wild free kick, it was a good day's work on his first return to the Combination after a season off.

Ewood grabbed the lead midway through the first half when Chris Rolfe's corner was headed back across goal to Craig Andre who flicked the ball onto Graham Coates who scored from close range.

But it could have been a different story had Griffin made their chances count.

Rob Middleton was denied by a last ditch tackle by the busy Angland just as he shaped up to shoot.

Neil Cook was then left looking to the skies in frustration as the Griffin midfielder found himself in a good position but his team-mates failed to make any decisive runs and he was dispossessed.

Angland was in more dangerous territory as Ewood extended their lead. Roy Gardiner's original cross from the right was over hit but Angland retrieved it wide on the left and supplied the cross for Coates to head home.

While Griffin were playing below par they still created enough chances to get back into the game. Rob Maddix missed a sitter when put through by Cook then Steve Newton went around the keeper only to see his shot blocked on the line by Walsh.

Then in a flowing move, Newton's superb first time cross was met by a rocket header by Cook but the keeper Lee Greenacre was equal to it with a fine save. After the break the two heavy weights exchanged blows with Lee Gough firing just over for Griffin while Rolfe forced a good save out of Lee Gallagher.

Angland then capped off a fine individual performance with the goal of the game that settled the clash.

Andre picked the ball up in midfield and held on to it while support arrived. That came in the shape of Angland who made a 40-yard dash to latch onto Andre's superb through ball and he out-paced Shackleton to hammer the ball home from just inside the area.

And just when Griffin thought it couldn't get any worse it did.

With no apparent danger Gallagher and Mark Smith ran into each other to leave Andre with the simplest of tap-ins to seal a resounding victory.

The worrying thing for the rest of the Combination is that Ewood will soon have their players back from suspension.

However on this performance, Lee Usbourne et al may have to take it in turns running the line for a little longer!

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