Witton team news & latest score updates will appear here as and when they become available.
Team news: Witton make two changes to the starting line-up beaten at Lancaster City a fortnight ago. River Humphreys returns from injury, replacing Cesaire Lingouba whilst Osebi Abadaki makes his full debut up front in place of Will Jones who drops to the bench alsongside Cesaire Lingouba, Jordan Cobley & Billy Smart respectively.
Greg Hall, Anthony Gardner, Matty Devine, Josh Wardle, River Humphreys, Will Booth, Danny McKenna,Tom Owens, Rob Hopley, Osebi Abadaki, James Foley.
Subs: Cesaire Lingouba, Jordan Cobley, Billy Smart, Will Jones.
Celtic have former Witton striker Scott Bakkor in their starting line-up.
GOALLLLL
Latest Score from Bower Fold:
Stalybridge Celtic 0 Witton Albion 1.
Rob Hopley heads Witton in front on 16 minutes from Danny McKenna’s cross.
30 minutes played - Witton are administering their lead in relative comfort, and look dangerous when they ask questions of a shaky-looking Celtic defence.
Celtic looking to bounce back here and some good football leads to Andy Scott getting a shot away on 31 minutes which is just wide.
Celtic go close on 34 minutes as Greg Wilkinson slips one into the centre and Matty Wolfenden gets a shot away which looked destined for the bottom corner but is just wide.
Celtic’s Olly Marx loses the ball at the back on 39 minutes to leave Will Booth 1-on-1 and Paddy Wharton stops excellently to keep it 1-0.
Yellow card:
Witton’s Josh Wardle on 40 minutes for kicking the ball away.
Former Albion striker Scott Bakkor goes close with a free-kick on 41 minutes but his attempt clears the crossbar.
Big chance for Celtic on 44 minutes and it should be 1-1 as Matty Wolfenden holds the ball well and lays off Greg Wilkinson who’s shot is stopped well by Greg Hall in the Albion goal.
Half Time Score from Bower Fold:
Stalybridge Celtic 0 Witton Albion 1.
Yellow card:
Stalybridge Celtic’s Glenn Rule on 52 minutes for a foul.
Witton go close to a second on 53 minutes but Josh Wardle’s shot from distance strikes the outside of the post.
Witton go close again on 55 minutes striking the other post this time through Danny McKenna from the edge of the area, following good work from debutant Osebi Abadaki.
Celtic keeper Paddy Wharton saves from Will Booth on 60 minutes.
GOALLLLL
Latest Score from Bower Fold:
Stalybridge Celtic 0 Witton Albion 2.
Tom Owens adds Witton’s second on 63 minutes following Rob Hopley’s flick on from Anthony Gardner 's throw.
Yellow card:
Witton’s River Humphreys on 67 minutes for kicking the ball away.
Scott Bakkor goes close for Celtic on 75 minutes but his attempt goes just over the top.
Substitute Liam Tongue goes close for Celtic but his free-kick scrapes the woodwork.
Witton Substitution:
Will Booth replaced by Billy Smart on 90+1 minutes.
Full Time Score from Bower Fold:
Stalybridge Celtic 0 Witton Albion 2.
Attendance: 301.
from SC
Celtic lose at home to Witton Albion
By Deborah Taylor
Two goals from the visitors was a fair balance of the chances carved by the two teams with Celtic never really able to get any momentum in the game.
Celtic actually started brightly, with Dougie Nyaupembe putting in a couple of excellent crosses for Danny Cockerline. The first was a gift of a chance for Cockerline, the goal at his mercy and he stumbled the ball wide, the second saw quick reflexes from Greg Hall to smother at Cocckerline’s feet. Danny McKenna was given too much time and space to pick out a cross at the other end that led to Witton’s opener. Although Chris Smalley challenged Rob Hopley for the looping cross, Hopley got enough on the ball to lift it over Paddy Wharton and sneak in at the far post.
Celtic were getting their chances, but in need of target practice, with Greg Wilkinson’s low drive from the edge of the box wide of the mark, Andy Scott burst through with an interchange with Matty Wolfenden, but knocked his effort past the other post, whilst Wolfenden himself had a go, but again, couldn’t hit the target. Wharton was called into action just before the interval to deny Hopley his second when Hopley seized on a defensive error to go one-on-one with the keeper, but Wharton was superb, and blocked the low shot with his legs. Celtic’s best chance since going behind fell to Wilkinson, who fired through a crowd only to see Hall fly across and push the ball out for a corner.
Witton started the second half hitting both posts. The first saw Will Booth launch a thirty yard strike that clipped the post, before spinning out, whilst McKenna was at the edge of the box, with his effort striking the other upright. Liam Tongue’s first action after coming on was deflect Osebi Abadaki’s shot over the bar, with Wharton saving with a leg from Booth’s low drive through a crowd off the corner.
Celtic were undone by a thirty-five yard throw from Matty Devine, launched into the box, flicked on by Hopley and bundled past Wharton by Tom Owens as he stumbled to reach the loose ball.
With still quarter of an hour to play, Celtic really needed to up their game, but lacked the impetus to stretch the visitors defence, despite the visitors sitting back. Liam Tongue went agonisingly close with a free kick after Scott Bakkor was upended right on the edge of the box by River Humphreys. Bakkor was closer still when he fired Neil Kengni’s low cross over the bar and then on target, only for Anthony Gardner’s leg to whip the ball an inch over the post. Greg Hall kept his clean sheet bonus when Tongue tried his luck from the edge of the box forcing Hall into a decent stop, but in truth, his bonus never really looked in doub
Woohooo! What a great result! How many Albs fans there? 
Maybe 50 or so Albion faithful there to watch a super Witton team display, I bet Carl was buzzing because it was a full on team display with everyone putting a shift in and playing well could have scored a couple more with a bit of luck, back 5 were briliiant midffield worked their socks off huinting in packs and Hopley led the line like the Pro He is, Osebi had a very good first debut start and adds something positive to the team MOM River just from several other candidates, Well done Carl for having the strength to change things it worked so well UTA