Now the dust has settled on the season, Celtic look forward to travelling to the Deva Stadium in Chester to face Runcorn Linnets inn the Cheshire Senior Cup Final. Kick off 3pm. (directions)
Runcorn finished the season in eleventh on sixty-one points, five places and nine points behind sixth placed Celtic. Apart from an unbeaten spell in February and March, Runcorn’s season has been inconsistent, and they finished the season with three losses on the bounce, losing 6-0 and 1-0 away at Congleton and Hednesford, and 3-1 at home to Bootle. Their last win was a 1-0 at home to Avro, whilst their last away win was in February when they beat Chasetown. In order to get to this stage of the Cheshire Senior Cup, Runcorn had to beat Witton (3-0 away), Vauxhall (2-1 at home), 1874 Northwich (6-1 at home) and Hyde (2-1 at home).
Ryan Brooke topped their goal scoring chart this season, with eleven league goals. Naim Arsan and Will Saxon would have to combine their six goals apiece to beat that. Although they have scored fity-four goals this season (twenty-two away), they have found the net twice in the last five games. On average, they score 1.5 goals per home game and one goal per game away, with an overall average of 1.3. Thirty-two of their seventy goals came away, at a rate of 1.5 goals per game, compared to conceding 1.8 per game at home. Six of their ten clean sheets came on the road, and they have failed to score the same number. Although they have no one time when they score, they conceded fifteen in the closing few minutes, a sixth of all their goals. Runcorn have not scored a penalty all season.
In our last five meetings with Runcorn, they have beaten us 3-2 three times. Twice in the league and once in the FA Cup. This season, they beat us 3-2 both home and away, twice Celtic giving up a two-goal lead. Since their formation, we have met Linnets eight times competitively. Three times in the Cheshire Senior Cup, once in the FA Cup and four times in the league. We have beaten them once. In 2013, we beat them 2-1 in the Cheshire Senior Cup, Corey Gregory and Mitch Austin. We almost beat them in the next Cheshire Senior Cup meeting, Neil Kengni put us ahead, and in the seventh minute of four, Kurt Sherlock equalised, putting the game to penalties. Glen Rule missed and Runcorn won.
In Runcorn’s last match, the 1-0 away defeat to Hednesford, Runcorn lined up as:
1. Bayleigh Passant
2. Pete Wylie
3. Naim Arsan
4. Lewis Doyle
5. Joe Ferguson
6. Callum Grogan
7. Luke Wall
8. Jaques Welsh
9. Ryan Brooke
10. Reece Daly
11. Adam Moseley
In Celtic’s last match the 2-0 home win over City of Liverpool, Celtic lined up as:
1. Charlie Monks
2. Javid Swaby-Neavin
3. Kyle Brownhill
4. Greg Wilkinson
5. Jordan Butterworth
6. Jordan Burton
7. Jack Irlam
8. Liam Tongue
9. Lewis Rawsthorn
10. Joe Duckworth
11. Benni Smales-Braithwaite
After a remarkable season for Celtic, they want to go out with a bang and give the manager silverware, Celtic’s first for over twenty years. A few players will be unavailable through injury, but Max Leonard will be available, his suspension finished and irrelevant in this competition. It’s going to be a finale of a final.
