The game may have been a formality for Celtic, already being relegated, but for Atherton, everything hinged on the game, lose and it would relegate them too.

A poor clearance from Kyle Harrison handed the visitors a dream start when the ball hit Ben Hardcastle in the face. It could have gone anywhere, it went in the net. Celtic looked to get straight back into the game, and a rifled shot through a crowded box saw Mackenzie Chapman pull off a great stop to deny Harry Benns an equaliser, whilst Joel Amado really should have given Atherton a two goal lead with a free header at the back post from a corner, but missed the gaping target. But mainly Atherton looked desperate to hold on to their slender lead. Desperate defending kept out Theo Bailey-Jones’s free kick and a flying save denied Ethan Padden’s blast from the box’s edge from a corner. Celtic’s persistent pressure paid dividends. From the corner, Padden flicked on at the near post to DJ Pedro at the back post to bundle in. Two minutes later and Celtic took the lead. Bailey-Jones created the chance with a chipped cross into the box and Pedro volleyed the ball into the back of the net.

Suddenly, the Colls stared relegation in the face. It took a generous gift, this time from the man in the middle, to get on level terms. As Domaine Rouse swept the ball, Hardcastle went over the ball, and won a penalty which Gareth Peet converted.

The second half saw Atherton cling onto their lead, dragging out every situation as long as possible. That backfired when Tom Miller’s long throw got flicked on by Pedro to substitute Frankie Sinfield, who tapped in at the back post. It took a stuck out leg from Amado to deny Curtis Morrison, Celtic’s other sub, the goal that would have sunk Collieries.

Panic stations from the visitors, until a wonder goal from Marcus Cusani, forty-five yards out, picked his spot and fired in a rocket Elon Musk would have loved, flying unerringly into the top corner. After the goal, Atherton shut up shop. Celtic knocked but ran out of time to condemn Colls to going down.