Back to league action on Saturday when Celtic host Witton Albion. Witton are currently 12th in the league on 21 points, three places and three points behind Celtic. Tickets are available on the gate or online.

Witton have had a slow start to this season’s campaign, losing four of their opening six games and drawing twice. They picked up their first win of the season away at Morpeth but followed it with a 9-0 away loss at Matlock Town. 

Their most recent six league games, though, have seen them win four and lose twice, pulling them up the table to a regular position for our Cheshire neighbours. 

Their most recent league game was a 2-0 home win over Atherton Collieries, whilst their most recent away league game was a 3-2 loss at Scarborough. Witton have had two away wins this season, the most recent being a 1-0 win at Whitby and the other being their first win of the season at Morpeth. Witton exited the FA Trophy at the weekend, losing 2-1 at home to Lancaster.

Last season, they won two of their three away games and three of their four away games, leaving them third with current Celtic Captain Scott Bakkor their top scorer. 

In the first curtailed season, they won twice on the road, drew seven and lost seven. At home, they won eight, lost five and drew their remaining two, leaving them 14th.

Callum Saunders is responsible for most of Witton’s goals this season, scoring nine of their 22. James Foley and Thomas Owens are behind on two each. They have nine other scorers each chipping in with a goal apiece. On average, they’re finding the net 1.1 times a game away from home and 1.3 overall, with nine-goals scored away from home. They have failed to score twice on the road and four times overall. Their defensive record is skewed by the 9-0 away result at Matlock. On average, away from home, they concede 2.4 goals per away game and 2 goals a game overall, keeping one clean sheet on the road from four in total.

Celtic met them last in the first curtailed season, when we won 1-0 at Witton, thanks to a Craig Hobson goal. Celtic never got to play the return fixture. In the 18/19 season, away teams had the results, with Celtic losing 2-0 at home, but winning 3-1 away with a brace from Matty Wolfenden and a peach of a free kick from Liam Tongue cancelling out an early Witton penalty. Over the past thirty years, we’ve visited 14 times in competitive matches, winning four, losing seven and drawing three.

In Witton’s last match, the 2-1 home defeat in the FA Trophy against Lancaster, Witton lined up as:
1. Greg Hall
2. Isaac Baldwin
3. Danny McKenna
4. Josh Wardle
5. Cesaire Lingouba
6. William Sutton
7. Jawad Jebrin
8. James Lawrie
9. Will Jones
10. Callum Saunders
11. James Foley

Celtic’s last match was the 4-1 home win over Yorkshire Amateur in the FA Trophy, in which Celtic lined up as:
1. Will Huffer
2. Josh Dawodu
3. Ashley Smith-Brown
4. Sam Wedgbury
5. Connor O’Grady
6. Keenan Quansah
7. Jake Burton
8. Charley Doyle
9. Marcus Dackers
10. Stephen Brogan
11. Justin Johnson

Witton are having an inconsistent season, hopefully Celtic can capitalise and maintain our recent excellent record of seven wins from the last 10.