Match Preview :- Hyde United - Tuesday March 16th, 2010 (19:45:00)
On Tuesday Celtic welcome Hyde United to Bower Fold for the Conference North fixture that should have been played New Year?s Day. Hyde are currently eighteenth in the table on thirty-one points, fourteen points and ten places behind Celtic having played two games more. There will be a live match centre for this game.

Hyde had a great start to the start of the season, winning three and drawing two, putting them top of the Blue Square North. However, a run of one win in seventeen games, saw them plummet down the table, with only a run of five games unbeaten in February saving them from the relegation zone. Whilst they have had some great home results, beating Droylsden, Hinckley and Eastwood recently, their away form has seen them not win a game since beating Hinckley back in August. In their last ten away games Hyde have taken two points, by drawing with Stafford and Redditch, this has given them just six percent of the available points and has them rooted to the bottom of the away form table (Celtic are second in that table). With sixty percent of the available points over the same period, Celtic are currently sixth in the home form table, meaning the suggested predicted outcome from the Automated Prediction Algorithm of 3-2 could be possible.

In the last nineteen visits from Hyde, they have won eight, lost ten and drawn one. Their most recent win at Bower Fold was New Year?s Day 2007, when they beat us 7-3. Since that win, they have not beaten us in a competitive fixture, with Celtic winning the last five clashes, most recently beating them 4-1 at home last season, after beating them 2-0 at Ewen Fields. In the past ten years, Celtic have won thirteen competitive fixtures, and Hyde four, with no draws. Our best home result was a 6-0 game back in 2007.

Hyde have scored six goals in the first half, with their most dangerous period the last fifteen minutes when they have scored twelve of their twenty-eight goals. Their most vulnerable period is the ten to thirty minute period when they have conceded eighteen of their forty-eight goals. Remarkably, Hyde have scored only seven goals away from home this season, the lowest of any team in the league. Away from home, they score an average of 0.5 goals per game (0.9 overall) whilst conceding 1.7 goals per game (1.6 overall). Hyde?s top scorer is David McNiven with eight goals. Scott Mooney is right behind him on six.

Hyde have a new keeper, Mark Halstead from Blackpool, and he is something of a hot-prospect, having scouts at the recent match against Telford, and earned them the point with a fine display. They are seemingly injury and suspension free ahead of the game. In that match, the 1-1 home draw with Telford, Hyde lined up as:
1. Mark Halstead
2. Dean Stott
3. Mark Lees
4. Scott McNiven
5. Chris Lynch
6. Nathan D'Laryea
7. Matty Burke
8. Tom Manship
9. Nathan Arnold
10. Kevin Holsgrove
11. Daniel Douglas-Pringle

Celtic will be without Craig Hobson, but with John Hardiker and Keith Briggs both starting, Celtic appear to have put their injury worries behind them, giving Jim Harvey something of a selection headache. In Celtic?s last match, the 3-0 defeat of Harrogate Town, Celtic lined up as:
1. Dave Carnell
2. Richard Battersby
3. Danny Adams
4. Steve Woods
5. Warren Peyton
6. John Hardiker
7. Dave Hankin
8. Keith Briggs
9. Joe O?Neill
10. Jody Banim
11. Michael Twiss

With the loss of Farsley, the win over Harrogate meant that Celtic are still outside of the play-offs, however, a win on Tuesday could see Celtic get back into the play offs, still with games in hand on the other teams in there, depending on Droylsden?s result on Monday against Gloucester, and Telford?s Tuesday result against Eastwood.

Other games this week (Celtic are 8th on 45pts):
Droylsden (46pts 6th) v Gloucester (30pts 19th) [Monday]
AFC Telford United (47pts 5th) v Eastwood Town (46pts 7th)
Ilkeston Town (40pts 11th) v Gainsborough Trinity (33pts 17th)
Northwich Victoria (39pts 12th) v Vauxhall Motors (27pts 20th)
Southport (63pts 2nd) v Workington (41pts 9th)
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