Though the first half was tough going, Celtic moved up through the gears in the second to record a solid win.

With a heavy pitch and constant defensive harrying, Wythenshawe made it difficult for Celtic, but the traffic remained one way, with the home side not recording a shot all half, whilst at the other end, Benni Smales-Braithwaite had an early shot deflected for a corner, which Rube Jerome latched onto, forcing an athletic tip over the bar by Kier Barry. From a free kick, an excellent strike from Jack Byrne required another good stop from Barry, before Wythenshawe slowed the game down. It took a further half an hour for another chance, Smales-Braithwaite again seeing his low drive deflected for a corner.

The second half started much more positive. Straight from the kick off, a looping lobbed ball over the backline from Liam Tongue allowed Andy Scarisbrick to wriggle free and fire a shot across the keeper to open the scoring. Jack Irlam, who had a hundred percent record of scoring for Celtic against Wythenshawe kept that run going when Barry fluffed a back pass, allowing Irlam to stab the ball in to make it two. Tongue and Jerome both fired off target before Nathan Whalley looked relieved his sliced clearance didn’t end up in the back of his own net. However, from the resulting corner, Aaron Chalmers smashed his header into the top corner, looped over Barry, and when Jerome got dragged a little too much in the box, Irlam stepped up and made it four from the spot. Celtic looked for a fifth, in need of an improved goal difference, but though Jerome and Irlam went close, and Jack Tinning sent his free kick over, the best chance fell to Jordan Butterworth, lashing in a shot from thirty yards which Barry did well to push round the post.

The win puts a wedge between Celtic and seventh, level on points with Vauxhall in fifth, with and Runcorn within three points with Celtic having a game in hand. Even Avro and Lower Breck are within striking distance, four ahead of Celtic.