STALYBRIDGE CELTIC 2, CHASETOWN 1
Matchwinner Lewis Rawsthorn’s double keeps alive Stalybridge Celtic’s slender hopes of securing a play-off spot in Pitching In Northern Premier League, West.
The striker, who joined Celtic on loan from Radcliffe FC in November, took his season’s tally to 14 goals, including five in the last four matches, with his brace against Chasetown.
And the words of praise from manager Jon Macken will be extra special to the 21-year-old given his boss was a goalscorer in the Premier League with Manchester City.
“They were two fantastic strikes but, not only that, Lewis’ all-round game was very good,” said Macken.
“The two lads up top [Rawsthorn and Joe Duckworth] are not the biggest but they worked really hard as did the front four.”
Macken described it as a big win against the Midlands side which is one of their main rivals for a top five spot.
Chasetown arrived at Bower Fold occupying the last play-off place, but eight points clear of Celtic.
It was a six-pointer in every sense of the word as Chasetown would have moved 11 points ahead of them with victory.
As it stands the margin has been cut to five points with only five games left.
Macken said: “It was a really important win in the grand scheme of things.
“We are still in a position where we are looking for help from other teams. It will be a big ask, but all we can do is keep winning and giving performances like we did today.”
Celtic’s victory was fully merited against their promotion rivals whose goal in stoppage time was one of the few times they threatened the home side.
“The lads were disappointed to concede the goal so late, but overall there were far more positives than negatives to take from the match,” said Macken.
Celtic made the perfect start taking a sixth minute lead when Rawsthorn thundered home a header into the top corner from Jordan Butterworth’s corner.
Chasetown went close to a leveller in the opening period when Jack Langston’s free kick had beaten keeper Charlie Monks and was curling in only for Jack Tinning to appear from nowhere to head clear.
Rawsthorn got his second eight minutes into the second period. He was put clear by Jack Irlam’s great through ball before holding off a defender and rifling a shot into the bottom corner.
Celtic could and should have added to their tally when Irlam sliced a shot wide and then had an effort headed off the line by Joe Dunn after Charlie Doyle’s initial effort was beaten out by keeper Curtis Pond.
Then in the second of five added minutes, Chasetown halved the deficit when centre back and captain Danny O’Callaghan headed home a corner off the underside of the bar.
It set up a nervy finish and in the dying seconds Chasetown almost snatched an unlikely point when George Cater fired agonisingly wide with Monks scrambling across his goal.