On Boxing Day (Thursday), Celtic host the festive derby with Mossley the visitors. Mossley are currently one place and two points behind Celtic in seventh on thirty-four points with a game in hand. Kick-off is 3pm.

Mossley’s start to the season saw them win two and draw three in their opening nine matches, leaving them sinking towards the drop zone. Experienced, Mossley have turned this form around and have since lost only once (away at Vauxhall Motors) in their next eleven matches raising them to the play off spots. However, recent form of one draw and two losses have seen them drop below Celtic. Their last away match saw them lose 3-0 to Stafford, whilst their last match was a home loss to Newcastle. Their last away win was at the end of November when they beat Bootle 2-0. Over their last five away matches, they have a draw a win and three losses.

Though Mason Fawns is their top scorer with eight goals, second spot goes to former fanas favourite Obua Mugalula, on five. On average, they are scoring 1.3 goals per game, failing to score in three away games (and two home). They concede an average of 1.6 away goals per game (1.2 overall), keeping two of their nine clean sheets on the road. Mossley have no real part of the game where they generally score, but midway through each half are weak spots for them, where they conceded eight of their twenty-eight goals.

After not playing Mossley in the league since 1992, we played them three times last season, twice in the league and once in the Manchester Cup. We had previously met them in the Manchester Cup in 2016, a game which finished 3-1 to Mossley in Mossley. In the two visits to Bower Fold last season, Celtic came out on top both times, with a 1-0 in the Manchester Cup (Jack Irlam with the goal) and the same in the league, with Jordan Burton getting the goal in that match. Mossley’s last competitive win at Bower Fold was in 1989, when they won 3-0.

In Mossley’s last match, the 2-1 home defeat by Newcastle Town, Mossley lined up as:
1. Finley Madigan
2. Adam Sherratt
3. Kasper Mialkowski
4. Mark Lees
5. Mateusz Kardacz
6. Michael Brewster
7. Joseph Berks
8. Bailey Marsden
9. Eric Yahaya
10. Mason Fawns
11. Obua Mugalula

In Celtic’s last league match, the 3-1 away win over Stafford, Celtic lined up as:
1. Charlie Monks
2. Jordan Butterworth
3. Kyle Brownhill
4. Jordan Burton
5. Greg Wilkinson
6. Jack Tinning
7. Elliott Rokka
8. Liam Tongue
9. Lewis Rawthorn
10. Joe Duckworth
11. Jack Irlam

The Boxing Day Derbies have thrown up some incredible games over the years.