On Saturday, Celtic travel to Matlock Town in the hunt for their first away points of the season. Since an opening day defeat to Ashton, Matlock have won every league game since, and currently sit third in the table.

Matlock lost 2-0 away at Ashton on the opening day of the season, but have improved game on game since then. Home wins of 2-1 over Basford and Hyde were followed by three games without conceding, beating Nantwich 1-0, Warrington 2-0 and Gainsborough 3-0. This has bettered their start to last season, in which they won four of their only six games, drawing at home to Basford and losing away at Bamber Bridge.

In the curtailed season of 2019/20, they also started strongly, but tailed off, losing fifteen of their last twenty-two matches. Like Celtic, Matlock exited the FA cup to a team in the division below, losing 3-0 to Belper Town. This was their first home defeat this season.

The Gladiators have scored ten goals so far this season, with goals coming from seven different players. Ross Hannah, Reece Kendall and Jerome Greaves all have two goals.

We’ve only managed to play Matlock once over both curtailed seasons, visiting in November 2019 where Celtic played out a 1-0 thanks to a stunning strike from Tony Whitehead. 

Since 2000, we’ve been in the same league twice, with results usually going to the home team.

Matlock’s last win over Celtic in Derbyshire came in 2018 where they beat Celtic 3-1; the same score-line as at Bower Fold. Over the past thirty years, we’ve visited eight times and have three wins and five losses.

With Paul Phillips at the helm, as you’d expect there are a number of former Celts in Matlock’s line up, with Sam Egerton, Mark Lees and Declan Walker all at the club. In Matlock’s last match, the 3-0 home defeat by Belper Town in the FA Cup, Matlock lined up as:

1. Shaun Rowley
2. Jamie Sharman
3. Reece Kendall
4. Sam Egerton
5. Ryan Qualter
6. Mark Lees
7. Alex Byrne
8. Alex Wiles
9. Liam Hughes
10. Ross Hannah
11. Declan Walker

Celtic’s last match was the 2-0 home defeat by Basford United, in which we lined up as:

 
1. Lewis Hood
2. Dougie Nyaupembe
3. Ashley Smith-Brown
4. Ioan Evans
5. Keenan Quansah
6. Stephen O’Halloran
7. Ethan Padden
8. Sam Wedgbury
9. Kieran Wells
10. Scott Bakkor
11. Jack Ryan

Celtic were missing Grant Shenton, Stephen Brogan, Keano Deacon, Charley Doyle and Callum Harris through injury.