Preview: Warrington Town vs Stalybridge Celtic

Warrington Town’s run of four consecutive home matches concludes this weekend as Stalybridge Celtic visit Cantilever Park. 

Mark Beesley’s side will be buoyed by last Saturday’s impressive 3-2 victory over promotion favourites South Shields, leaving them fifth in the Northern Premier League table.

They have already met Stalybridge twice in all competitions this season, winning 1-0 in the reverse fixture back in August before being knocked out of the Cheshire Senior Cup on penalties at the end of October.

Despite Celtic winning just two of their last 15 matches in all competitions, it promises to be a tough afternoon as the Yellows take to the field for the final time at home before Christmas.

Team news

Goalkeeper Tony Thompson returns to the fold, having served his recent one-game ban.

However, Josh Seary will miss Saturday’s game after picking up a fifth yellow card of the season against South Shields last time out. 

They will also be without joint-top scorer Connor Woods, who was recalled by parent club Southport earlier this week. 

With captain Josh Amis still absent through suspension and last season’s top scorer Jordan Buckley nearing a return to fitness, Isaac Buckley-Ricketts could make his first start since the end of September.

Defender Mitch Duggan and midfielder Sean Williams were also struggling with illness ahead of the Yellows’ previous league fixture, but both should be available.

Mark Beesley preview

Manager Mark Beesley has challenged his players to show their consistency following last weekend’s victory over South Shields. 

Their triumph over Shields ended a run of three successive losses in all competitions. 

Beesley admits his players need to show their quality on a weekly basis if they want to realise their promotion ambitions. 

“We’ve got a good squad, we’re a good team, we don’t look too far forward but we’ve got to take those inconsistencies out of our game,” he said. 

“If we’re not on our game, we don’t pick up points, and that is what we’ve got to change because there will be times between now and the end of the season when we’re not on our game, and we’ve got to pick up points on those days.

“When we do play well we tend to pick up points, so it’s important that we do both of those jobs.”

Jay Harris preview

Warrington Town midfielder Jay Harris says the Yellows cannot afford to drop below the level of performance they produced seven days ago. 

Despite trailing inside 10 minutes, Mark Beesley’s side showed their quality either side of half-time to down South Shields for the second time in less than a month.

“That’s got to be the benchmark now in terms of our performance level,” Harris said. 

“We were good with the ball, but the most pleasing part was everything we did off it. We showed a little bit of nastiness, a bit of grit, and more than anything, the heart and will to win was there for everyone to see. 

“Over the course of the season, it’s not been there every single game, but we know we can do it. We can’t drop below those standards now.”

Read more here!

Match information

Saturday’s Northern Premier League fixture at Cantilever Park kicks off at 3:00pm. Match tickets are priced as follows:

Online ticket prices – 

• Adults: £10
• Concessions: £6
• Under 16s: £2

*There is a £1 booking fee per transaction.

Turnstile admission prices –

• Adults: £12
• Concessions: £8
• Under 16s: £3

Buy tickets for Saturday’s game against Stalybridge Celtic!