On Tuesday night, Celtic make one of their longest journeys as we travel to Newcastle to face table topping South Shields (kick off 7:45pm). South Shields are currently first on twenty-eight points, fifteen points and eleven places above Celtic, having played a game more.

South Shields have only lost once this season, when Hyde United beat them 1-0 at home. The only other points they have dropped was a goalless draw away at Scarborough. They are currently on a seven game winning streak, winning four consecutive home games, most recently beating Atherton Collieries 3-0.

They have conceded four goals all season, only two of these at home, at a rate of 0.3 goals per game. They have kept seven clean sheets (four at home) and conceded just once in their last five games. This gives them head and shoulders the best defence in the league. Nor are they struggling for goals at the other end, with the third best attack, scoring seventeen goals in their last seven matches since the last time they failed to score. They've scored twenty-one goals in total, fourteen at home, failing to score just twice, once at home and once away. They score at a rate of 1.9 goals per game (2.3 at home). Their top scorer so far is Jon Shaw with four, with nine other scorers weighing in.

We've met South Shields just twice, both times last season. Both games were wins for South Shields, though Celtic went to Newcastle during an impressive two season long home winning streak for South Shields and almost got a 2-2 draw thanks to two goals from Neil Kengni, but for a late, late winner from Josh Gillies.

In South Shields last match, the 3-0 win over Atherton, they lined up as:
1. Myles Boney
2. Jordan Hunter
3. Blair Adams
4. Phil Turnbull
5. Dillon Morse
6. Gary Brown
7. Adam Thurston
8. Nathan Lowe
9. Sanmi Odeliso
10. Robert Briggs
11. David Foley

Celtic faltered their return to good form with a 3-2 home defeat to FC United after a strong comeback from the visitors. In that match, Celtic lined up as:
1. Alex Fojtíček
2. Declan Walker
3. Kallum Mantack
4. Ross Dent
5. Mark Lees
6. Chris Smalley
7. Jonathan Ustabasi
8. Nathan Valentine
9. Craig Hobson
10. Darius Osei
11. Harry Freedman

There are four teams within reach of Celtic, should we win, though we would need to win by two goals to overtake Hyde in eighth. Morpeth (away at Mickleover) and Witton (away at Stafford) are both able to overtake us, should we lose.