On Saturday, Stalybridge Celtic have their final match of the season when we host Grantham Town (kick off 3pm). Grantham are currently seventeenth in the table, on forty-two points, three points and two places above Celtic and are now mathematically safe from relegation. There will be a match centre and Twitter feed for this game.
After a great start to the season in which they lost only one game (3-1 away at Basford) in the opening eight, Grantham went on a seven game consecutive losing streak (one shy of Bamber Bridge's league record of eight consecutive losses and one more than our worst streak of six consecutive losses, which we are hopefully at the end of!). Things picked up for Grantham at the end of 2018, finish December strongly, losing two, winning four and drawing one. Since the turn of the year, Grantham have won three, losing eleven and drawing three in their last seventeen. Their last win was at home to Witton five games ago, whilst their last away win was a 3-2 win over Gainsborough on Boxing Day. They have drawn two of their last five away games, most recently at Lancaster. Their last away game was a 2-0 loss to Scarborough and their most recent game a 2-0 defeat by Gainsborough, they have conceded eight in their last three and scored none.
Grantham have the third worst attack in the league, scoring thirty-nine goals, just ahead of Workington and Mickleover Sports (who have the worst). Away from home, they have scored twenty goals away from home (fourth worst in the league). They score an average of a goal per game. They have the second worst defence, conceding seventy-one, just behind Matlock's seventy-five with the third worst away conceding record, with forty goals conceded on the road at a rate of 2.1 per game (1.8 overall). They have kept one clean sheet on the road (away at Marine at the start of September) from five and failed to score in seven away games (from fifteen). There is a three-way tie for top scorer this season, with Jack McGovern, Ryan Oliver and Daniel Durkin all on four each. Neil Kengni on his own has scored as many as all three.
We've met Grantham only three times. Last season it was a 0-0 draw, whilst their only visit to Bower Fold was a 3-1 win for Grantham with a consolation goal for Alex Honeyball in stoppage time. We went to Grantham in December this season, with Andy Scott grabbing the only goal early doors and never really looking troubled after that.
In their last match, the 2-0 home defeat by Gainsborough, Grantham lined up as:
1. Sam Andrew
2. Adam Smith
3. Connor Bartle
4. Obaro Edobar
5. Tom Ward
6. Michael Tweed
7. Chris Dawson
8. Jack McGovern
9. Jamie Jackson
10. Akeel Francis
11. Sam Grouse
In the Stalybridge Celtic's last match, the 1-0 away defeat to Hyde, Stalybridge Celtic lined up as:
1. Paddy Wharton
2. Josh Solomon-Davies
3. Douglas Nyaupembe
4. Mark Lees
5. Chris Smalley
6. Liam Tongue
7. Scott Bakkor
8. Glenn Rule
9. Neil Kengni
10. Greg Wilkinson
11. Andrew Scott
Ross Dent will be available after his three match suspension.
The season boils down to this game. Our survival is still in our hands. If we win, we stay up. If we lose or draw, we have to look to the Mickleover game, who are away at Bamber Bridge. Both Grantham and Bamber Bridge are safe, so both Celtic and Mickleover will have to get results. If Mickleover draw or lose, we stay up. If they win, and we draw or lose, they stay up, and we are relegated.