For the second time, results went Celtic’s way, but a disjointed performance across the park instead saw Celtic slump to their fourth consecutive defeat, and third in the league.

Twenty minutes in, and the mountain was already two goals, both preventable, both scored on the break, Stafford players cutting in from the wing. The first John Atherton’s ball found Joseph Thomas, and with Charlie Monk stranded, halfway between staying and coming, Thomas powered the ball past him. A breakaway from a free kick at the other end allowed Atherton again to find somebody, this time getting to the by-line before cutting back for Kaiman Anderson to side foot into the net unchallenged. Unable to muster a chance, Celtic had Charlie Doyle to thank for the scoreline as he blocked Anderson’s powerful shot from a corner.

Changes came for the second half, and Celtic improved, but it took until the seventieth minute for anybody in yellow to muster a chance worthy of the name, Liam Tongue latching onto a ball at the edge of a crowded box and picking a ball sized gap. However, Arron Davies in the Stafford nets made a good flying save. Another chance came to Tongue, twisting into the box before getting his shot off, the keeper only able to palm it as far as Tunde Owolabi, but his shot from a very narrow angle flew over the net.

More chances fell to both sides in the last ten minutes than the rest of the game combined. Stafford’s shooting wayward with their best chance a cracking effort from Anderson well caught by Monks, but Celtic looked to be getting closer too. Benni Smales-Braithwaite forced Davies into a decent stop, but his second was too high. Ruben Jerome got into position but turned his good shot wide of the mark, while Max Leonard almost added to his hero moments, but a stuck out leg from James O’Neill denied him.

A breakaway a minute before time, Callum King-Harmes had a twenty-yard headstart with the whole field to run into. Doyle sprinted back, and reached King-Harmes in he Celtic box. It looked shoulder-to-shoulder, but King-Harmes went down and Doyle saw a second booking while King-Harmes took the penalty himself. Stafford’s fourth came in a similar way, except Anderson’s head-start had no Doyle to catch him, instead one-on-one with Monks, he curled it past the Celtic custodian.

Were Stafford four goals better than Celtic? Yes.