Linnets search for more away success on happy hunting ground

Stalybridge Celtic v RUNCORN LINNETS

Pitching In Northern Premier League West Division

Saturday, November 22nd 2025

Bower Fold,  Mottram Road, Stalybridge

Cheshire, SK15 2RT.

Runcorn Linnets will defend a 100% record in NPL matches against Stalybridge Celtic this weekend.

We have won all four West Division games against the Tamesiders but had to retrieve two-goal deficits in both encounters last season.

Will Saxon's devastating wing play inspired our comeback in the 3-2 win at Bower Fold. Will scored twice, the goal in between coming from Adam Moseley, whose hat-trick set up our memorable Cheshire Senior Cup final victory over Celtic in May.

On our two previous visits - the first of these in the Cheshire Senior Cup - we triumphed by single-goal margins. Both victories were secured by central defenders - Alex Downes and Sean O'Mahony.

Past meetings

Saturday 16th November 2024

NPL West Division

Attendance: 630

Stalybridge Celtic 2

Liam Tongue (8)

Jack Irlam (32)

RUNCORN LINNETS 3

Will Saxon (34, 54)

Adam Moseley (50)

Linnets team: Bayleigh Passant, Sam Barratt, James Short, Karl Clair, Jack Grundy, Harvey Washington, Will Saxon, Jacques Welsh, Eden Gumbs, Luke Wall,  Naim Arsan. Subs: Adam Moseley, Jaden Jones, Adam Morgan, Lewis Doyle. Not used: Peter Wylie.

Saturday 17th February 2024

NPL West Division

Attendance: 861

Stalybridge Celtic 0

RUNCORN LINNETS 1

Sean O'Mahony, below, (20)

Linnets team: Bayleigh Passannt, Sam Barratt, James Short, Jacques Welsh, Sean O'Mahony, Antony Kay, Kieran Knapper, Lewis Doyle, Ollie Molloy, Will Saxon, Mackenzie O'Neill. Sub: Ryan Brooke. Not used: Peter Wylie, Eric Byrne, Adam Moseley, Alex Jones.

Tuesday 8th March 2022

Cheshire Senior Cup

Stalybridge Celtic 0

RUNCORN LINNETS 1

Alex Downes, below, (2)

Linnets team: Scott Reed, Ally Brown, Kain Dean, Jacques Welsh, Alex Downes, Sean O'Mahony, Joe Lynch, Lewis Doyle, Ryan Brooke, Iwan Murray. Subs: Lloyd Marsh-Hughes, Dapo Olarewaju. Not used: James Short, Eden Gumbs, Peter Wylie.

Form guide

Our away record now extends to one defeat in 13 this season across all competitions.

We have won eight and drawn four. We have scored 21 goals and conceded eight, keeping six clean sheets while failing to score twice (in the 0-1 loss at Bury and goalless draw at Mossley).

Our current undefeated away run stretches to six league matches and eight games overall, dating back to Tuesday, September 9th.

Stalybridge have so far played 12 matches at Bower Fold in 2025-26, winning seven including five of their last six in a sequence which has seen them score 17 goals and let in three.

It includes a 6-0 defeat of Darlaston. Their only recent blemish was a 1-0 reversal against Bootle on October 18th.

Early season home form had seen two wins, three defeats and a draw - two of these setbacks being against Chester (1-2) in the FA Cup and high-flying Lower Breck (0-3) in the league.

Celtic's 17th place in the current form table is down to four successive away defeats in their last six games which have seen home victories over Newcastle Town and Wythenshawe Town.

Player news

Bayleigh Passant, Scott Bakkor and Dec McLoughlin each made happy returns from long-term injuries in our 2-0 win at Nantwich Town on Tuesday. Our shutout ended a run of 18 Nantwich home matches in which they had scored.

Scott hadn't started in the last eight, making the XI just once in the our previous 11 outings. The striker launched his comeback off the bench in the 2-1 win at Wythenshawe Town in our last Saturday home game on November 8th.

Tuesday's late clincher was Scott's 12th of the season but his first goal since the FA Cup replay win at Ashton United on September 30th.

Midfielder Dec had been on the bench for our last two fixtures, featuring in the 1-1 draw at Congleton but he had missed the previous eight because of a foot injury. His only Linnets goal before Tuesday's was in the televised FA Cup victory at Pickering Town.

'Keeper Bayleigh has been on an ever longer road to recovery since being forced out by the knee problem, which had been troubling him for a while before his last appearance in the 1-0 NPL defeat at Bury.

Bayleigh's 15-game absence had been successfully covered by three different 'keepers in Blackpool loanee Harvey Bardsley (five appearances), George Huyton from our U21s (one appearance) and veteran Greg Hall (nine appearances) at a cost of three defeats, including two by higher opposition in the cups.

Bayleigh's comeback clean sheet was his fifth in his 10 matches this season and our ninth overall.

How to get there

By road - From M67, exit at Junction 4. At the roundabout, turn left onto the A57 Hyde Road. At the traffic lights, turn left onto B6174. At the mini-roundabout, turn left onto Roe Cross Road which becomes Mottram Road after the Waggon and Horses pub. Bower Fold is on the left, opposite a sharp right turn next to the art gallery.

By train - The train service to Stalybridge from Runcorn East is via Manchester, where up to two changes are required. From Runcorn Station, the journey involves connections from Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester. You can plan your journey here

Admission

Adults £12

Concession £10 (Over 65 and 18-year-olds)

16-17 £8

14-15 £5

U14 accompanied by an adult £3

Cash and card payments are accepted.

Supporter information

Visiting supporters are requested to enter via the top gates, which are furthest from the stadium entrance when entering the club car park. Through this entrance, visiting supporters will be able to directly access The Celtic Social for food and drink.

Car parking spaces are currently limited at Bower Fold. Anyone with a blue badge requiring an accessible car parking space can e-mail Phil.hall@stalycelticfc.co.uk to reserve a space.

Stalybridge Celtic FC reminds all attending Saturday's game that being found in possession of or using pyrotechnic devices at a football ground is a criminal offence and is something for which you can be prosecuted.