One goal was enough in game in which Mossley had chances, but Celtic kept control for the majority of the game.

The first half, Celtic dominated the chances, with Aaron Dwyer twice going close and a leg from Mark Lees denying Joe Robbins. Finlay Madigan made a decent stop down low to his right, from Benito Lowe and then comfortably caught Connor O’Grady’s header from the resulting corner. O’Grady tracked back the full length of the pitch to put in a vital intercept as Justin Iwobi pulled the trigger on a breakaway. Midway through the half, Jordan Burton latched onto a clever ball from Dwyer, but Madigan pulled off another decent stop. A goal looked likely, and it came again from an imaginative pass from Dwyer, lifting the ball into box. Substitute Rio Clegg flicked his header to the back post, and burton snuck in and steered the ball past Madigan. Celtic could have increased that but both Robbins and Clegg missed the target from good positions.

The second half continued in the same vein, Madigan had to deny Dwyer twice, one with a superb reaction save, sticking out a hopeful hand to deny the mercurial Dwyer. When Burton and O’Grady both missed the target, Mossley sensed a chance. A goal behind with ten minutes to go, they applied the pressure and after Iwobi’s effort forced Luke Hewitson into a stunning reaction save, chasing down the loose ball Max Leonard stretched for the ball and caught the player. Penalty.

Hewitson guessed right, and got a hand on Kane Hickman’s spot kick, lifting it onto the bar. With players arriving, Ethan Vaughan reacted quickest and pushed the ball out for a corner. The save incentivised Mossley and they worked another chance. Alfie Belcher found some space in a crowded box, his shot struck Iwobi on the line, and O’Grady launched it clear. At the other end, Rio Clegg could have put the game safe in stoppage time, but again Madigan pulled off a great stop to keep the score at 1-0.