On Saturday Celtic are in FA Trophy action when we take on Ossett United. Ossett are currently sixteenth in the Northern Premier League East on six points after five games, although there are in our sister division, they are the equivalent of nine places and one point behind Celtic.

Ossett won their last match, giving them their first win of the season, beating Consett 2-1 away at Consett, scoring an injury time winner. Ossett went out of the FA Cup at the first hurdle, losing 1-0 at home to Widnes. Their league campaign started badly. Although they drew at home to Ashington and got an away goalless draw at Brighouse, they lost 5-0 away at Grimsby and 4-1 at Newton Aycliffe. Their only home league match so far this season saw them lose 3-0 to Pontefract.

Of the four goals they have scored, two were by Eddie Church, and they have scored three times in stoppage time, earning a point at home to Ashington and netting the winner at Consett. They have conceded fourteen goals in the same period, giving them the joint worst attack and the worst defence in the East division at this early stage.

We’ve never met Ossett United, as they formed in 2018 after a merger of Ossett Town and Ossett Albion. We’ve never met Ossett Town competitively, though we played two friendlies in the early two thousands, losing 1-0 in 2001, and drawing 2-2 in 2005. Albion we have played competitively twice, both times in the FA Cup, beating them 4-1 in 1996 and 1-0 in 2003, Kenny Mayers getting the goal.

In Ossett’s last match, the 2-1 away win over Consett, Ossett lined up as:
1. Aleks Petrovic
2. Harry Gagen
3. Leon Gibson-Booth
4. George Proctor
5. Ryan Qualter
6. Conor Qualter
7. Leon Osborne
8. Billy Marshall
9. Adam Weston
10. Shaun Tuton
11. Eddie Church

In Celtic’s last match, the 3-2 harsh away defeat to Vauxhall Motors, Celtic lined up as:
1. Charlie Monks
2. Javid Swaby-Neavin
3. Kyle Brownhill
4. Jordan Butterworth
5. Aaron Chalmers
6. Jack Tinning
7. Ash Leather
8. Liam Tongue
9. Jordan Buckley
10. Max Leonard
11. Prince Anuniru

The FA has reviewed Javid’s red card against Vauxhall and they, like the crowd, saw he did nothing wrong, and though it was a turning point, the FA overturned it, and Javid is eligible for selection.