On Saturday, Celtic travel to Liverpool to face Marine in the FA Trophy (kick off 3pm). Fans are advised that they should not travel. Marine are currently eighth in the Northern Premier League North/West division.

Marine have 3 games in hand on top placed Workington and are 9 points behind. Though they had a slow start, losing their opening 2 league games 1-2 away at Dunston and 1-2 at home to Colne, they have turned a corner and won their last 6 matches in all competitions. In the FA Cup, Marine had already seen off Barnoldswick, Frickley, Runcorn Linnets and Nantwich (who lost 4-1 in Marine) and have most recently beaten Chester 1-0 at Chester. Marine have also played 2 rounds in the FA Trophy, beating Tadcaster 3-1 away and Mossley 5-0 at home.

Aside from the single goal at Chester (a penalty), Marine’s most recent matches have been thumping wins, 4-0 in the league over Pickering, 5-0 over Mossley, 4-1 over Nantwich and a pair of 2-0s over Tadcaster and Widnes in the league. So far this season, they have scored 27 goals in all competitions, whilst conceding 8. Marine have kept 3 clean sheets on the trot, and in their last 6 have conceded just once, Nantwich finding a way through in the FA Cup.

So far this season, Marine’s top scorer is Josh Hmami, who has 7 goals. Both Niall Cummins and Mo Touray are right behind him on 6 goals each. There are a few faces at Marine that used to play at Celtic, including striker Neil Kengni, attacking winger Michael Howard and fullback Josh Solomon-Davies.

Over the past thirty years, we’ve only met Marine twice in the FA Trophy and it currently stands at Honours Even, with Marine winning 2-0 in 2001 and in 2004 they held us to a 1-1 draw at Bower Fold, with Celtic winning 1-0 in the replay in Liverpool. We have met three times in the FA Cup, a memorable replay in 1993 with a penalty shootout eventually going Celtic’s way, and in 2006 and last year both games going Marine’s way, one in Marine they won 3-2 and the one last year at Bower Fold that Marine won 2-0. In all competitions, we have visited Marine 16 times, we have won 7, Marine have won 4 and there have been 5 draws. Our last visit there was last year in the 2018/19 season when we drew 1-1, with Danny Cockerline’s second half goal cancelled out with 10 minutes remaining. Marine’s last win over us there was the season before when they won 3-1, Liam Dickinson’s penalty not enough. Our last competitive win there was in 2004, when we won 2-0 with first half goals from Colin Potts (a superb volley) and Chris Denham.

In Marine’s last match, their 4-0 home win over Pickering Town, Marine lined up as:
1. Bayleigh Passant
2. Joshua Solomon-Davies
3. James Barrigan
4. Alex Doyle
5. Anthony Miley
6. David Raven
7. Michael Howard
8. Josh Hmami
9. Niall Cummins
10. Mo Touray
11. Neil Kengni

In Celtic’s last match, the 3-1 home defeat over Morpeth Town, Celtic lined up as:
1. Tom Stewart
2. Jordan Helliwell
3. James Ellison
4. Scott Sephton
5. Stephen O’Halloran
6. Matty Makinson
7. Jonathon Ustabasi
8. Charley Doyle
9. Lewis Salmon
10. Callum Harris
11. Nic Evangelinos

James Ellison is on loan from Marine, so will be unlikely to feature for Celtic. Freddie Sass is back and Kallum Mantack also should be available. Will Goodwin is still unlikely to feature, but Celtic have recalled Kyle Hawley.

Despite being a league below, Marine are the team in form at the moment and are at home. If Celtic can play like the last three games, we are capable of getting into the next round of the Trophy.