Match Preview :- Stafford Rangers - Saturday October 2nd, 2021 (15:00:00)

On Saturday, Celtic are at home for the Non-league equivalent of the Old Firm clash as we host Stafford Rangers. Kick off 3pm, with tickets available online or on the gate. Stafford are currently one place and one point above Celtic.

Stafford are one of the winners from the truncated seasons, finishing bottom in both, winning just four over both seasons. This season they have got off to a flyer and have so far only lost three – all of them 1-0. They were beaten at home to Warrington and Buxton, with their only away loss (and most recent) so far this campaign against Hyde. They have won as many as they previous two campaigns already this season. The won two of their first three home games against Morpeth and Radcliffe. Their first away matches against Basford and Ashton were both draws (1-1 and 0-0 respectively). Their most recent away match was a loss to Hyde, and their most recent three games were all at home, picking up a win over Matlock with two 1-1 draws following against Atherton and Witton.

Former Celts Jake Charles and Ben Woods are both on the scoresheets this season, both having grabbed a goal each, whilst Stafford’s top scorer is Thomas Tonks, who has 4, just one ahead of Joseph Kenton on 3. On average they are scoring a goal a game away from home (1.2 overall), whilst conceding 0.8 goals on the road and 0.7 overall. They’ve kept one clean sheet away from home and failed to score twice.

We managed to play Stafford in the first truncated season, but not the second, with Stafford edging Celtic out in the results, drawing 1-1 in Stafford thanks to Alex Fojticek dropping the ball in his own goal on a free kick and Stafford beat us 3-0 at Bower Fold. It was a similar story in the last full season, when Stafford won 2-0 in the Midlands and drew 2-2 at Bower Fold with too little too late for Celtic, Andrew Scott and Neil Kengni with the equalisers late on. You have to go back to Celtic’s first season back in the Northern Premier league to find Celtic’s last win over Stafford at Bower Fold when we won 2-0 from a Connor Hughes brace. Stafford went on to win the reverse fixture. In the last thirty years, Stafford have visited Bower Fold eleven times, with Celtic winning five and Stafford four.

Stafford’s last match was a 1-1 home draw with Witton Albion in which Stafford lined up as:

1. Luke Pilling
2. Andrew Burns
3. Josh Endall
4. Alex Ray Harvey
5. Jonathan Moran
6. James O’Neill
7. Joe Kenton
8. Thomas Tonks
9. Jake Charles
10. Luca Navarro
11. Joe Cuff

Celtic’s last match was the wonderful 1-0 away win over high-flying Whitby, in which we lined up as:

1. Liam Isherwood
2. Douglas Nyaupembe
3. Ashley Smith-Brown
4. Sam Wedgbury
5. Connor O’Grady
6. Keenan Quansah
7. Jay Fitzmartin
8. Callum Harris
9. Marcus Dackers
10. Charley Doyle
11. Justin Johnson

It’s been a while since Celtic won three consecutive matches. To be precise: December 7th 2019 when we actually won six on the spin with four league matches in that mix, that was also the last time we won two league consecutive league matches. A win on Saturday would see Celtic leapfrog Stafford (though they do have a game in hand), with seventh spot within reach.

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