On Tuesday night, Celtic will travel across to Lincolnshire to face Gainsborough Trinity (weather permitting). Trinity currently sit fifth in the Blue Square Bet North, on thirty-four points, three places and twelve points behind Celtic. There will be a live match centre for this game.

After a poor start to the season, which saw Celtic beat Gainsborough early doors, a change of manager rejuvenated Trinity and five straight wins propelled them into the play-off spots. A 3-1 reversal away at Hyde halted their progress that saw them beat Droylsden and Nuneaton on their travels, and Bishop's Stortford, Blyth and Corby at the Northolme. Since then, their form has been hit and miss. They have beaten Guiseley 1-0 at home, along with Workington and Hinckley, and thumped Eastwood 6-1 on the road, and most recently picked up the season's first six pointer by beating Corby for the second time, this time 3-1 away at Corby. However, they have lost their last two home matches 3-1 to Boston, and 4-1 to Gloucester, and lost 2-1 away at Colwyn Bay. Surprisingly, they have had just one draw all season, 1-1 at Bishop's Stortford.

Gainsborough will be looking for revenge for the 4-0 thumping Celtic handed them at Bower Fold back in August. History suggests that they could very well hand out Celtic's second league defeat of the season, with Gainsborough never a happy hunting ground for Celtic. In our eighteen visits to the Northolme in the last thirty years, Celtic have won just five times. Two of those five times have come in our last two visits to Gainsborough, with our last visit seeing us run out 3-1 winners (Jennings with a brace, and Ellams with a last minute gloss. Indeed, in the last five meetings between the two sides, Celtic have won all five, scoring fifteen goals, and conceding four. Trinity's last win over Celtic was at Bower Fold back in February 2009, having previously been held to a draw in Gainsborough. Trinity's last win over Celtic at the Northolme was back in August 2007, when Trinity got the rub of the black to win 2-1.

Gainsborough's top scorer this season is Ryan Kendall on eight, twice as many as his four rivals for the boot, who are massing on four each. The opening ten minutes and the first ten after the restart are Trinity's danger periods, with six and seven goals respectively in those periods, out of a total of thirty three goals this season. Defensively, they have no real weak spots, although with eight of their twenty-nine goals conceded around the seventy/eighty minute mark, this is marginally their weakest spot. On average they score 1.9 goals per game at home (1.7 overall) and concede 1.2 goals per game at home (1.5 overall).

Gainsborough have brought in two new players, forwards Lee Ridley and Paul Connor, though Rory Coleman and Craig Nelthorpe have both been released. With the return of Ryan Kendall after a thigh strain, Gainsborough are back up to full strength, and Lewis McMahon's one match ban for accumulated cautions does not kick in until Saturday. In Gainsborough's last match, the 3-1 win away at Corby, they lined up as:
1. Kenny Arthur
2. Dominic Roma
3. Kevin Sandwith
4. Gavin Cowan
5. Luke Waterfall
6. Jonathan Williams
7. Jonathan D'Laryea
8. Ryan Williams
9. Ryan Kendall
10. Paul Connor
11. Lee Ridley

Rhys Meynell has now accumulated five cautions and has a one match ban, but this does not kick in until the 17th when we are away at Solihull Moors. Kristian Platt and Lloyd Ellams were both missing again on Saturday when Celtic beat Boston 3-0, and will need looking at ahead of travelling to Lincolnshire on Tuesday night. In our last match, Celtic lined up as:
1. Jan Budtz
2. Joel Bembo-Leta
3. Andy McWilliams
4. Rhys Meynell
5. Chris Lynch
6. Jack Rea
7. Steve Brogan
8. Greg Wilkinson
9. Phil Marsh
10. Arthur Gnahoua
11. Connor Jennings

It would be expected that Hyde would see off Eastwood Town on Monday night, putting them six points ahead of Celtic (albeit with three games in hand), but it means that a win for Celtic at Gainsborough becomes vital so that the gap doesn't loom large ahead of a tricky December for Celtic to negotiate. The automated prediction league believes we can take all six points off Gainsborough, though, suggesting a 3-1 win for Celtic on Tuesday night. This could be vital, seeing how Guiseley too should be getting a regulation win at Blyth, and Nuneaton should see off any challenge Gloucester can mount.

Weather permitting, there is a full midweek fixture list this week:
Monday:
Hinckley United (18pts 18th) v Worcester City (29pts 7th)
Hyde (49pts 1st) v Eastwood Town (13pts 21st)
Tuesday:
Altrincham (28pts 8th) v Corby Town (30pts 6th)
Blyth Spartans (12pts 22nd) v Guiseley (35pts 3rd)
Boston United (27pts 12th) v Bishop's Stortford (16pts 20th)
Gloucester City (26pts 13th) v Nuneaton Town (34pts 4th)
Harrogate Town (22pts 15th) v Colwyn Bay (28pts 10th)
Histon (20pts 16th) v Solihull Moors (23pts 14th)
Workington (17pts 19th) v Halifax Town (27pts 11th)