Celtic and Runcorn are neck and neck in the league, and impossible to separate on the field, so a draw was a fair result.

Former Celt, Scott Bakkor, started proceedings with a shot on the run that Charlie Monks could only palm away for a corner that Harvey Washington should have done better with, getting a free header in the box, only to fire over. Harry McGee tried his luck from the halfway line with Charlie Monks off his line, but missed by some margin. At the other end, Ellis Horan tried his luck through a crowd, but Yusuf Mersin watched it all the way. The opening goal came when McGee again tried his luck from the halfway line, this time on target. Their lead lasted two minutes, with Mike Koral’s throw flicked on by Jack Irlam to Max Leonard to head past Mersin. Runcorn pushed for the rest of the half, but Washington again headed over, Bakkor fired into the side netting and Monks comfortably caught Declan McLoughlin’s effort before half time.

Ten minutes into the second half, McGee burst into the box and volleyed a cross goalward, Monks pulled off an excellent save, one-handed, close-range, the ball coming Bakkor, who smashed in the home-side’s second. After the goal, Celtic edged on top, but it took until ten minutes before time before the pressure turned to chances. Aaron Chalmers headed a corner wide, Benni Smales-Braithwaite forced a save, before a whipped in cross from Horan saw Irlam, Leonard and Andy Scarisbrick raced in but Declan McLoughlin got his head on it first to plant a glancing header into his own net. With the game heading for the final whistle, Smales-Braithwaite found some space, but leaned back and his shot cleared the bar, the game finishing two apiece.