On Tuesday night (kick off 7:45), Celtic face Atherton Collieries in the Integro League cup after the original three postponements. Weather permitting this match will be played at Bower Fold, though Celtic will be the away team. Atherton are now twenty-first in the table on twenty-five points, seventeen points and twelve places below ninth placed Celtic, though they have played seven games fewer.
Atherton's last win was when they played us at the start of January in the league, when they beat us 3-0. Since then, they have played five more games, two at home, and three away. They have lost all five. This, plus postponements, has seen them drop down into the drop-zone and are now four points off safety. Though they have lost their previous five games, prior to that, they lost just one in the previous seven, a 1-0 defeat away at Radcliffe. Their most recent match was a 2-1 defeat away at Basford.
They have conceded in every home game but two, one at home and one away, the visit by us a month ago and their trip to Gainsborough in October. They have scored in every home match though, failing to score in five away matches. In total, they have scored thirty-four (twenty-three at home and eleven away) at a rate of 1.4 per game (1.9 per home game, 0.9 away), whilst conceding forty-nine goals (twenty-six at home and twenty-three away) at a rate of 2 goals per game (2.2 at home and 1.8 away). Their top scorer this season is former Celt, Tom Bentham, with ten, the same as the next three players combined. Bentham has scored seventy percent of his goals at home, but netted a third of all their away goals. With eleven goals on the road, they have the worst away attack of any team in the league, and only Grantham and Stafford have won fewer away games.
Having played Atherton twice, both times this season, we've yet to beat them, although we once beat them in a behind closed doors friendly under Phil Wilson's reign. At Bower Fold, Celtic pulled back a second-half goal after Bentham had put them into an early lead that Celtic never recovered from; whilst in Atherton, Celtic failed to turn up and handed the game to the hosts on a plate.
Atherton's last match was the 2-1 away defeat by Basford. In that match they lined up as:
1. Paddy Wharton
2. Clive Smith
3. Gareth Peet
4. Ashley Dunn
5. Danny Laffety
6. Matthew Makinson
7. Jamal Crawford
8. Cain Noble
9. Jordan Cover
10. Vinny Bailey
11. Daniel O'Brien
In Celtic's last match, the 0-2 away defeat with Grantham, Celtic lined up as:
1. Alex Fojtícèk
2. Kallum Mantack
3. Scott Metcalfe
4. Max Taylor
5. Stephen O'Halloran
6. Chris Smalley
7. Adam O'Reilly
8. Patrick Lacey
9. Chris Holroyd
10. Declan Walker
11. Jonathan Ustabasi
Celtic look to be fully fit, but will be missing Craig Hobson, who is serving the second of his three match suspension.
Hopefully, Celtic can progress to the next round where there is a home match to Marine. The winners of that match will have a home match with Morpeth.
Table |
P | Pts | |
| 18 | Ashton United | 27 | 31 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | Matlock Town | 26 | 29 |
| 20 | Grantham Town | 30 | 29 |
| 21 | Atherton Collieries | 25 | 25 |
| 22 | Stafford Rangers | 31 | 19 |
| Tue 03 Mar 2020 | Stalybridge Celtic | 4-1 |
| Sat 22 Feb 2020 | Basford United | 1-2 |
| Sat 08 Feb 2020 | Morpeth Town | 1-5 |
| Sat 01 Feb 2020 | Whitby Town | 1-3 |
| Sat 25 Jan 2020 | Gainsborough Trinity | 1-3 |
Goal Scorers | H | A | 1st | 2nd | Total | |
| 1 | Bentham, Tom | 7 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 10 |
| 2 | Cover, Jordan | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 3 | Lafferty, Daniel | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 3= | Peet, Gareth | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 4 | Bailey, Vincent | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Home win | Stalybridge Celtic | 3-0 | Sat 11th Jan |
| Away win | Gainsborough Trinity | 0-2 | Sat 12th Oct |
| Home defeat | Morpeth Town | 1-5 | Sat 8th Feb |
| Away defeat | Morpeth Town | 3-0 | Tue 15th Oct |
| Home score | Morpeth Town | 1-5 | Sat 8th Feb |
| Away score | Whitby Town | 3-1 | Sat 1st Feb |
| Games Since... | Overall | Home | Away |
| Last Scored | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Last Conceded | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Last Won | 5 | 3 | 6 |
| Last Drew | 1 | 1 | 1 |
M6 Northbound - 30 minutes from leaving the M6.
Leave the M6 at junction 19 (Northwich).
At the roundabout at the end of the slip road turn right (exit 3 of 4) to join the A556 towards Altrincham.
Stay on the A556 for 5 miles to a roundabout with the M56.
Turn right at the roundabout (exit 3 of 4) onto the M56.
Stay on the M56 for 6 1/2 miles to junction 3 (M60 signposted Sheffield, M67)
Stay on the M60 for 7 miles to junction 24 (M67, Denton)
At the roundabout turn right (exit 4 of 5) to join the M67.
Stay on the M67 to the very end, Junction 4.
At the roundabout turn left (exit 1 of 4) onto the A57 (Hyde Road).
After 1/2 a mile you will reach a set of traffic lights (signposted Stalybridge).
Turn left onto B6174 (Stalybridge Road).
Almost immediately, there is a mini roundabout.
Turn left (exit 1 of 5) onto Roe Cross Road (A6018).
Follow this road for 1 3/4 miles passing the Roe Cross Inn on the right and through the cutting (the road is now called Mottram Road).
When you pass the Dog and Partridge on the right, you will be almost there.
Bower Fold is on the left opposite a sharp right turn next to the art gallery.
If the car park is full (it usually is), parking can be found on the streets on the right of Mottram Road.
M6 Southbound - 25 minutes from leaving the M6.
Leave the M6 at junction 20A (North Wales, Runcorn)
Join the M56 towards Stockport.
Stay on the M56 for 11 miles to junction 3 (M60 signposted Sheffield, M67)
Stay on the M60 for 7 miles to junction 24 (M67, Denton)
At the roundabout turn right (exit 4 of 5) to join the M67.
Stay on the M67 to the very end, Junction 4.
At the roundabout turn left (exit 1 of 4) onto the A57 (Hyde Road).
After 1/2 a mile you will reach a set of traffic lights (signposted Stalybridge).
Turn left onto B6174 (Stalybridge Road).
Almost immediately, there is a mini roundabout.
Turn left (exit 1 of 5) onto Roe Cross Road (A6018).
Follow this road for 1 3/4 miles passing the Roe Cross Inn on the right and through the cutting (the road is now called Mottram Road)
When you pass the Dog and Partridge on the right, you will be almost there.
Bower Fold is on the left opposite a sharp right turn next to the art gallery.
If the car park is full (it usually is), parking can be found on the streets on the right of Mottram Road.
M1 - 40 minutes from leaving the M1.
Leave M1 at junction 35a (Manchester)
At the roundabout at the end of the slip road, join the A616 towards Manchester
After 1 mile you will reach a roundabout with the A616.
Go straight across on the roundabout (exit 3 of 5) to join the A616.
After 9 miles you will reach the Flouch Roundabout with the A628.
Turn left on the roundaout (exit 1 of 4) to join the A628 (Woodhead Road).
After 13 1/2 miles you will reach a set of traffic lights (signposted left to Glossop) go straight across.
After these lights move into the right hand lane.
At the next set of lights, turn right onto Back Moor (signposted Stalybridge).
After a few hundred yards, you will reach a mini roundabout.
Bear right (exit 2 of 5) onto Roe Cross Road (A6018).
Follow this road for 1 3/4 miles passing the Roe Cross Inn on the right and through the cutting (the road is now called Mottram Road)
When you pass the Dog and Partridge on the right, you will be almost there.
Bower Fold is on the left opposite a sharp right turn next to the art gallery.
If the car park is full (it usually is), parking can be found on the streets on the right of Mottram Road.
M62 - 20 minutes from leaving the M62.
Leave the M62 at Junction 18 to join the M60.
The M60 junction has its own lane.
Join the M60 heading South towards Oldham, Ashton and Stockport.
Stay on the M60 for 8 miles to junction 24 (M67, Denton)
At the roundabout at the end of the slip road, turn left (exit 2 of 5) to join the M67.
Stay on the M67 to the very end, Junction 4.
At the roundabout turn left (exit 1 of 4) onto the A57 (Hyde Road).
After 1/2 a mile you will reach a set of traffic lights (signposted Stalybridge).
Turn left onto B6174 (Stalybridge Road).
Almost immediately, there is a mini roundabout.
Turn left (exit 1 of 5) onto Roe Cross Road (A6018).
Follow this road for 1 3/4 miles passing the Roe Cross Inn on the right and through the cutting (the road is now called Mottram Road)
When you pass the Dog and Partridge on the right, you will be almost there.
Bower Fold is on the left opposite a sharp right turn next to the art gallery.
If the car park is full (it usually is), parking can be found on the streets on the right of Mottram Road.
M60 - 10 minutes from leaving the M60.
Leave the M60 at junction 24 (M67, Denton)
At the roundabout join the M67.
Stay on the M67 to the very end, Junction 4.
At the roundabout turn left (exit 1 of 4) onto the A57 (Hyde Road).
After 1/2 a mile you will reach a set of traffic lights (signposted Stalybridge).
Turn left onto B6174 (Stalybridge Road).
Almost immediately, there is a mini roundabout.
Turn left (exit 1 of 5) onto Roe Cross Road (A6018).
Follow this road for 1 3/4 miles passing the Roe Cross Inn on the right and through the cutting (the road is now called Mottram Road)
When you pass the Dog and Partridge on the right, you will be almost there.
Bower Fold is on the left opposite a sharp right turn next to the art gallery.