On Wednesday, Celtic get a break from the league when we take on West Didsbury and Chorlton in the Manchester Cup. West Didsbury and Chorlton are currently third in the Northwest Counties Premier Division, on forty-nine points. Kick-off 7:45pm.

The Northwest Counties Premier league is the league directly below Celtic’s league, and even though West Didsbury and Chorlton have played more games than those around them, they are only a point off top spot, though Ramsbottom United do have a superior goal difference and they are twelve points clear of dropping from the top five making them a title contender at this point in the season. In their last fifteen matches since the start of October, West Didsbury and Chorlton have lost only twice, both at home. Once to Clitheroe in the Lancashire Senior Cup and once to Irlam in the league. Apart from getting a replay in the FA Cup to Winsford at the start of August, they have only drawn one other game this season, at home to Euxton Villa in the league.

With fifty-seven goals scored, West Didsbury and Chorlton have the third best attack in the league, though with twenty-nine conceded, they have the worst defence in the top five. Twenty-one of their fifty-seven league goals have come through one player, Harvey Roberts, who has also netted seven in cup competitions, making him the joint top scorer in the league, level with Glossop North-End’s Gabriel Mooney-Munoz. West Didsbury and Chorlton have failed to score in one league match (Atherton LR), and in two cup matches (Clitheroe and Runcorn Linnets, both from our league), scoring in twenty-one consecutive matches, until the Clitheroe game. With eleven clean sheets this season, goalkeeper Oli Martin is one of the top keepers in the league.

We’ve met West Didsbury and Chorlton in two friendly matches, the last one of which went West Didsbury and Chorlton’s way, with a 1-0 win in Didsbury. The only competitive meeting between the two sides was back in 2019 in the FA Cup when West Didsbury and Chorlton held Celtic to a draw at Bower Fold, but Celtic went on to win the replay 3-2, with a hattrick from Craig Hobson.

In West Didsbury and Chorlton’s last match, the 2-1 away win in the Macron Cup against Ramsbottom United, West Didsbury and Chorlton lined up as:
1. Oliver Martin
2. Chris Rowney
3. Jack McConnell
4. Paul Riley
5. Latiq Roberts
6. Sean Moscrop
7. Harvey Roberts
8. Thomas Murray
9. Lewis Billingsley
10. Jordan Lazenby
11. Jack Bannister

In Celtic’s last match, the 1-0 home over Runcorn Linnets, Celtic lined up as:
1. Charlie Monks
2. Mike Koral
3. Kyle Brownhill
4. Jordan Butterworth
5. Aaron Chalmers
6. Jack Tinning
7. Charlie Doyle
8. Liam Tongue
9. Ruben Jerome
10. Andy Scarisbrick
11. Ellis Horan

Celtic are likely to rotate the squad, especially with Andy Scarisbrick requiring stitches after Matty Rain’s challenge on him against Runcorn left him with an open wound on his leg. Even so, Celtic should be looking for a win to progress in a competition we’ve been to the final of twice in recent years.