On Tuesday Celtic’s first match of the year kicks off with Atherton Collieries being the visitors. Atherton are currently eleventh, six points and four places above Celtic who are in fifteenth. Kick-off is 7:45pm. Tickets are available on the gate or online.

Atherton have won four times on the road this season, two of those wins in their last four away games, when they beat Grantham and Scarborough 1-0. Their most recent away match saw them have a goalless draw with Lancaster, whilst the other of the last four was a 2-0 loss at Basford. They have lost only once in their last six matches, a stark contrast to their previous six where they only drew once. This season they have drawn two away from home, won four and lost seven.

Only Nantwich have scored fewer goals than Atherton this season. Atherton have scored twenty, whilst Nantwich have scored nineteen. Away from home, Atherton are the clear league leaders in fewest goals scored, with six. Only Gainsborough and Atherton are in single figures for away goals scored this season. Matthew Gillam has six of their twenty goals this season, and a third of their away goals making him their current top scorer. They have not scored in any of their away losses this campaign and have failed to score in eight of their thirteen away games giving them an average of 0.4 goals per game on the road (0.9 overall). They are eighth in the away defences though, with fifteen goals conceded away from home with nine and only Gainsborough have conceded less at home (eight) and they have kept four clean sheets (from seven overall) giving them a ratio of 1.2 goals per away game and one per game overall. Part of this is down to the loan of keeper Luke Hutchinson, who returned to Bolton Wanderers this week. Like Celtic, Atherton will have a new keeper between the sticks.

We did not manage to host Atherton in the previous two curtailed seasons, but did visit there twice in the league, losing one 3-0 and drawing the most recent encounter 1-1. We also visited in the league cup just before the first lock down, losing 4-1. Since the nineties, we’ve only played Atherton four times, and three of those were away thanks to curtailed seasons. Atherton’s only visit to Bower Fold was in 2019 when they won 2-1 with Scott Bakkor grabbing Celtic’s only goal despite Atherton playing the last half hour with ten men.

In Atherton’s last match, their 0-0 away draw with Gainsborough, Atherton lined up as:
1. Luke Hutchinson
2. Clive Smith
3. Gaz Peet
4. Joel Amado
5. Danny Lafferty
6. Luca Defreitas-Hansen
7. Ethan Kershaw
8. Scott Sephton
9. Zack Clarke
10. Jack Lenehan
11. Marcus Cusani

In Celtic’s last match, the 1-1 draw at home to Hyde, Celtic lined up as:
1. Will Huffer
2. Josh Dawodu
3. Ashley Smith-Brown
4. Stephen Brogan
5. Connor O’Grady
6. Shane Killock
7. Just Johnson
8. Kennan Quansah
9. Scott Bakkor
10. Charley Doyle
11. Callum Harris

Sam Wedgebury and Ethan Padden had both tested positive for Covid ahead of the Hyde match, with most of the rest of the team then testing positive before we could play Ashton, cancelling that game. Grant Shenton is unlikely to feature for at least another six weeks and with the departure of Will Huffer, Celtic have brought in Liverpool keeper Liam Hughes. With the departures of Jake Barton, Adam O’Reilly and Hayden Campbell at the end of their loans, Celtic have brought in replacements in Matty Liptrott and Luke Stowe on loan and Raul Correia and Aaron Grewall as permanent signings.

A win for Celtic might only lift us a single place, with only Morpeth Town in reach (three points ahead, but if they lose, we’d go ahead on goal difference), but a defeat could see us drop up to four places to nineteenth, looking over our shoulder at the bottom three.