Stalybridge Celtic welcome league leaders South Shields to Bower Fold on Saturday (11 March) for an exciting clash in the Northern Premier League.

The hosts will be hoping to take the momentum gained from their stunning comeback last Saturday against Belper Town, into this match. It was a thrilling game that finished 2-1, with a 94th-minute strike from Chris Dagnall winning it for the home side, who went a goal, and a man down earlier in the match.  

Celtic, who currently sit 17th in the league will need every single one of their supporters behind them on Saturday, if they are to have any chance of getting anything from the game, with visitors South Shields comfortably being the best side in the division. The hosts will be without winger DJ Pedro for this one as he was the man sent off in the game against Belper. They will also be without goalkeeper Greg Hall, who is currently sidelined through injury.

Celtic manager Chris Willcock thinks his side have a chance of winning if they can replicate what they did in their previous match. Speaking after that match last Saturday, Chris had this to say, “If we show the same resilience, run like we did today, and get ourselves into good areas, I’m sure we can cause them problems”.

South Shields are ten points clear at the top of the table, with a game in hand on second-placed Hyde United. They are unbeaten in ten league games and their last loss came back in January, when they were beaten 1-0 by Guiseley, which is still their only defeat in 2023. After this loss, they went on a five match winning streak, which is the longest winning streak by anyone in the league so far this season. The team from the North East have only lost four games all season and have the best defensive record in the division, keeping nine clean sheets away from home in the league.

If the home side are to get anything from this match, they will have to have a plan of how to stop former Celtic player Darius Osei from scoring. The striker is in fine form this season and is South Shield’s top scorer in the league, currently on 11 goals.

The Celts will also be out for revenge in this one, having lost the previous meeting between the two, which was the first game of the season back in August. This ended in a 2-0 home win for South Shields.

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