On Saturday, Celtic are back facing Northeast opponents, this time with Morpeth Town the visitors. Morpeth are currently only one of two teams below us, having lost their opening games 3-1 and 3-0. Tickets for this game are available on the gate or through our online ticketing system.

Ironically, Morpeth were both the last team we should have visited (waterlogged pitch) before lockdowns began, and the last team we played at home when last season also ended abruptly. Hopefully, this is not an omen.

After a good 2019/20 season finishing eighth at the point when it was aborted, they were rising and had plenty of games in hand. Last season was a little more hit and miss, mainly playing away games, they won once (2-1 over Mickleover), drew two and lost two. Their last away trip of that season was the 3-1 defeat at Bower Fold. Despite being in the same league for three years, that remains the one and only time we have played Morpeth, and we have never played the reverse fixture. We got as far as the carpark, but not the pitch before the game was called off in 2019/20. 

Morpeth’s top scorer in the 19/20 season was Joseph Walton, who bagged 10, closely followed by Liam Henderson on eight. Both are currently still with the club and played in their last match, though they are yet to get off the mark so far this season. Over the past three seasons, only Stafford, Gainsborough and South Shields have failed to score against them when Morpeth play away. Lancaster and FC United have both put four past them, whilst four teams, Celtic included, have put three past them. That said, they have failed to score only five times in the twenty-two games that have comprised their last three seasons’ worth of away matches.

In the one and only meeting between the two sides, the 3-1 win at Bower Fold for Celtic, Celtic’s scorers were Lewis Salmon, Scott Sephton and Matty Makinson, none of whom are still at Celtic, whilst Morpeth Town’s scorer was Jack Foalle, who has their only goal this season in their 3-1 defeat at Stafford.

In Morpeth’s last match, the 3-0 away defeat at FC Untied, Morpeth lined up as:
1. Dan Lowson
2. Stephen Forster
3. Wayne Phillips
4. Sam Hodgson
5. Jeff Henderson
6. Chris Reid
7. Joe Walton
8. Liam Noble
9. Liam Henderson
10. Ryan Donaldson
11. Andrew Johnson
12. Jordan Hunter

Celtic’s last match was the 3-1 home loss to South Shields, in which we lined up as:
1. Grant Shenton
2. Ashley Smith-Brown
3. Stephen Brogan
4. Ioan Evans
5. Kennan Quansah
6. Luke Barlow
7. Charley Doyle
8. Sam Wedgebury
9. Jack Ryan
10. Scott Bakkor
11. Callum Harris

Both teams are looking to get their first points on the board, hopefully this game can kick-start Celtic’s season.