On Easter Monday, Celtic welcome Mossley to Bower Fold with both teams on unbeaten streaks. Mossley are currently tenth in the table on fifty-three points, twenty-two points and seven places below Celtic.

Mossley are now mathematically unable to reach the play-offs, so all they have riding on the game is beating Celtic in a derby, which is reason enough. They play both us and Vauxhall in their final four games, so Mossley can still have a huge say in who is in the top five come the final game. With nine goalless draws, Mossley are the undisputed goalless draw kings this season, having more than any other team. In total, they have had seventeen draws, with Congleton coming a distant second on fourteen. This means only four teams have lost fewer matches this season than Mossley’s nine, and six teams have won fewer than Mossley’s twelve. Like Celtic Mossley are on an unbeaten run stretching back to New Year’s Day, when they last lost away at Avro. Since then, seven draws and six wins have lifted them five places in the table. Mossley have lost twice as many games on the road as at home, but won the same number.

Mossley score a lot of late goals. Of their fifty-five goals this season, fourteen have come at the death, grabbing draws from the brink of defeat and wins from almost certain draws. Most recently Oumar Camara’s goal to beat Newcastle. On average, they score 1.4 goals, and concede 1.4 away goals (1.3 overall). They have kept six of their thirteen clean sheets on the road, and failed to score five times on the road (from twelve in total). With ten league goals, Reece Webb-Foster is their top scorer, with Mason Fawns and Oumar Camara tied for second on seven each. They have the seventh best away defence, and the eleventh best (or worst) away attack.

Our Boxing Day reverse fixture in Seel Park finished goalless. Last season, we also drew in Mossley, though that finished 2-2, with two late goals from Jack Irlam and Courtney Meppen-Walters rescuing the point for Celtic. The last three competitive fixtures at Bower Fold all went Celtic’s way. Mossley’s last visit on Boxing Day 2024, saw Lewis Rawsthorn and Liam Tongue score either side of former Celtic Obua Mugalula’s goal. You have to go back to 1989 for Mossley’s last competitive win at Bower Fold, when they won 3-0. In their last seven competitive visits, Celtic have won six of them.

In Mosley’s last match, the 1-1 draw at home to Nantwich, Mossley lined up as:
1. Fin Madigan
2. Jack Marrow
3. Joe Hillary
4. Mark Lees
5. Jack Grundy
6. Sean Kgwakgwa
7. Isaac Nobel
8. Joe Adams
9. Reece Webb-Foster
10. Mason Fawns
11. Gee Baltazar

In Celtic’s last match, the 3-1 away win over Witton Albion, Celtic lined up as:
1. Charlie Monks
2. Jordan Butterworth
3. Kyle Brownhill
4. Aaron Chalmers
5. Jack Byrne
6. Charlie Doyle
7. Andy Scarisbrick
8. Liam Tongue
9. Ruben Jerome
10. Jack Irlam
11. Ellis Horan

If results go Celtic’s way, Avro are one point ahead and at home to Trafford, with Trafford knowing that one more loss would all but certainly end their survival hopes. Bury (away at Clitheroe) remain five points clear and have (on paper at least) the most comfortable run-in against teams who can neither be promoted nor relegated now (Nantwich might disagree). If results go against Celtic, Runcorn are the only team within three points, but the goal difference has swung in Celtic’s favour, with Celtic now five better off. If Celtic do win, Lower Breck are at home to Vauxhall, Celtic will need only one more point to be guaranteed a play-off spot.