On Saturday, Celtic make the short trip across Tameside to Ashton United. Ashton are currently One place and one point above Celtic in thirteenth on thirty-nine points. Kick-off is 3pm.
With two recent wins under their belt, Ashton leap-frogged Celtic. In their last match at home to South Shields, Ashton pulled off something of a coup, with a late goal from debutant Ekow Coker snatching all three points off the visitors. Prior to this, they had already beaten Radcliffe in Radcliffe, with a comfortable win to end a run of four games without a win. The South Shields game was only their second win of 2022 at home, the other seeing them beat Lancaster 1-0. The start of the 2021/22 campaign saw Ashton have a torrid start, winning their opening home game against Matlock 2-0, but then going on a twelve-game streak without a win, drawing six and losing six, including losing 1-0 at Bower Fold. Since then, they have turned it around, and have lost six in their last eighteen, drawing three and winning nine, pulling them away from the danger zone.
Ashton have scored forty goals this season, putting them firmly mid-table for goals-for. Florian Yonsian scored eight of them, with thirteen other scorers chipping in, with Tom Bentham and Liam Tomsett joint second in the chart on five apiece. On average, they score 1.3 goals per game, failing to score four times at home from eight in total. With thirty-eight goals conceded at a rate of 1.2 per game, they have the eighth best defence overall, but with only twelve conceded at home at a rate of 0.8 per game, they have the best home defence in the league. Seven of their ten clean sheets have come at home, and they have not conceded a goal in their last two matches.
Over the last thirty years, we have visited Hurst Cross eight times, five of those in the league and three times in cups. We have won six of our visits, most recently in 2019, when we visited twice, once in the league and once in the League Cup, winning both of those games. You have to go back to 2003 for Ashton’s last win over Celtic, a year when they beat us both at Hurst Cross in the league and at Bower Fold in the President’s Cup, those two wins are their only two wins since 2000. In the eight meetings since, Celtic have won six and drawn two. We managed a win their in the Season From Hell, when we were playing three or four times a week.
In Ashton’s last match, the 1-0 home win over league leaders, South Shields, Ashton lined up as:
1. Greg Hartley
2. John Lufudu
3. Harry Spratt
4. Sam Sheridan
5. Harry Coates
6. Ekow Coker
7. Ben Hardcastle
8. Michael Brewster
9. Florian Yonsian
10. Nathan Ntalu
11. Cole Lonsdale
In Celtic’s last match, the 2-0 away defeat at Stafford, Celtic lined up as:
1. Liam Hughes
2. Matthew Liptrott
3. Ashley Smith-Brown
4. Sam Wedgbury
5. Connor O’Grady
6. Kennan Quansah
7. Jay Fitzmartin
8. Charley Doyle
9. Raul Correia
10. Callum Harris
11. Justin Johnson
Stephen Brogan missed the Stafford match after his red card against Nantwich. He will be missing for the Ashton game. A win for Celtic would see us overtake Ashton and could see us overtake Basford. Gainsborough, Radcliffe and Atherton are all level on points with Celtic, with Mickleover two points behind, so a loss could see us drop to eighteenth.
From Mottram Road, heading downhill away from Bower Fold, follow the road down and around (it will become Stamford Street).
At the lights with Wakefield Road (just over the railway bridge) stay on Stamford Street by bearing left.
At the next set of lights (a BP garage will be on your left) turn right onto Darnton Road.
The road curves around to the left.
Stamford Park will be on the left and right, and Tameside Hospital is on the right.
Just past Tameside hospital there is a set of traffic lights with a five way junction with Mosley Road and Queens Road.
Go straight ahead and to the right onto Queens Road (going clockwise this is road three of five).
After 400 yards, you will reach a set of traffic lights with an upside down church on your right, and the New Inn on your left.
Go straight through these lights.
Continue up Queens road (for 1/4 of a mile) past the Co-op on your right.
Just beyond the Co-op there is a set of traffic lights at Hurst Cross.
The ground is just here on the left just behind the library.
Parking is difficult, most people park just beyond the lights opposite the Texaco garage.