On Saturday, Celtic travel to Oldham to face Avro in the play-off final. Avro finished second in the league, six points and one place above Celtic on eighty-eight points. Kick off 3pm. This match is all ticket only.

Avro missed out on automatic promotion by two points, winning their last league match 13-0 to become the league’s top scorers. They have been in the top five since September, after starting the season with two wins, two losses and a draw in August. Since then, they have lost six matches, most recently losing 3-0 at home to Bootle, and 3-1 away at Kidsgrove in March, with five straight wins to finish the season. January saw their worst period of the season, with one win, two losses and two draws, but that wobble was corrected. They have had seven draws all season, the fewest of any team, joint with Celtic.

With ninety-four goals, nobody has scored more than Avro this season, their last league match bringing them level with Vauxhall. Avro have conceded forty-one, with only Bury conceding fewer. On average, they score 2.5 goals per home game (2.2 overall) and concede a goal per game. Kyle Hawley’s twenty-five individual goals make him the Golden Boot winner this season, with eight more than Ruben Jerome and four more than his nearest rivals, Chay Tilt of Sporting Khalsa and Sam Burns of Lower Breck. Avro have the league’s highest win, 13-0 over Darlaston, which is also the most goals scored in one match this season. There has only been one goalless draw involving Avro (Newcastle at home), meaning every other game they’ve played had goals. They have failed to score twice at home (the other was their last loss there, to Bootle), and kept nine clean sheets at home, seven away. Sixteen clean sheets is the league record.

Although we beat Avro at Bower Fold earlier this season, winning 2-1 with two second half goals from Jack Irlam, our visit to Avro this season finished 1-0 to Avro. Celtic’s previous visit to Avro finished 2-2, Max Leonard equalising then putting Celtic ahead, only for a late goal to end the game even. Our first visit there, in the 23/24 season saw Celtic take a two goal lead through Max Harrop and Aaron Dwyer, Avro lose their keeper to a red card, and Avro won 3-2. We also lost in the FA Trophy there that season; after finishing 0-0, Avro won on penalties. So in four visits, Celtic have never won in Avro.

In Avro’s last match, the play-off semi-final against Lower Breck which Avro won 4-3 on penalties (it finished 1-1 at full time, 2-2 at the end of extra time), Avro lined up as:
1. Cameron Mason
2. Ethan Kershaw
3. Adam Owen
4. Kane Hickman
5. Dean Fitzpatrick
6. Jack Kenny
7. Taylor Dyson
8. Jake Cotterell
9. Darrhyl Mason
10. Harry Salt
11. James Simms

In Celtic’s last match, the 1-0 home semi-final win over Runcorn, saw Celtic line up as:
1. Charlie Monks
2. Mike Koral
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

Celtic should be at full strength for the match. It’s one more game. One winner. Avro have been the second-best team this season, Celtic the third. Their records are close this season. Win or lose, this has been a fabulous season to get us to this point.