Match Preview :- Droylsden - Saturday January 7th, 2012 (15:00:00)

On Saturday, Celtic look to get back on track when Droylsden are the visitors (Kick off 3pm - the game will be segregated). Droylsden are currently eleventh in the league on thirty-one points, nine places and seventeen points behind second placed Celtic, although they have a game in hand. There will be a live match centre for this game.

Droylsden had a reasonable enough start to the season, winning both their opening home games and drawing their opening away games. A trip to Workington saw them lose 3-1, and it was a slide down the table after reaching, briefly, fourth. Droylsden's last five away games have seen them pick up just one point, away at Vauxhall Motors. Though they may have scored eight in those last five away games, they have conceded nineteen. This form puts them in the bottom three away teams over the past five games. At home it's a different story, with four wins and a draw (the 3-3 draw against Celtic). They've beaten Halifax, Workington, Solihull and, most recently, Altrincham. Droylsden have scored in all except one of their games this season, right back at the start of the season when they drew 0-0 with Harrogate. They've kept four clean sheets, apart from the Harrogate game, their only other clean sheet on the road was a 2-0 win at Solihull.

We met Droylsden not that long ago, a game which flared up in more ways than one, resulting in Droylsden storming back from a two goal deficit with a player sent off to end the game 3-3. Droylsden's last league win at Bower Fold was back in December 2006. Celtic's last win over Droylsden was last season in November, when we surprised them with a 4-0 hammering. Droylsden's two visits between those games ended in 2-2 draws.

Droylsden's top striker this season, Danny Rowe, was recalled by Fleetwood Town, and sent on loan to Stockport County after scoring twelve goals for Droylsden. This leaves the still quite prolific Ciaran Kilheeney in contention for the golden boot with seven goals. On average, Droylsden score 1.9 goals per game overall (1.5 goals per game away from home). They concede two goals per game overall and 2.4 away from home. Their most dangerous period is the last fifteen minutes when they have scored twenty of their forty-one goals, whilst their most vulnerable is around half time when they have conceded eleven of their forty-three goals.

Droylsden are suspension free going into the game, and there is no news on any injuries to their squad. In their last match, the 3-1 home win over Altrincham on New Year's Day, Droylsden lined up as:
1. Paul Phillips
2. Chris Brown
3. Luke Holden
4. Andy Langford
5. Natt Kerr
6. Paul Marshall
7. Dan Gardner
8. Stephen Hall
9. Ciaran Kilheeney
10. Dale Johnson
11. Carlos Logan

Celtic can welcome back Rhys Meynell after he has finished his suspensions, whilst Callum Warburton has been missing recently through injury. Additionally, Celtic will also be without talismanic fans favourite Connor Jennings who was sold to Scunthorpe. In Celtic's last match, their first home league defeat in a year to Hyde on New Year's Day, Celtic lined up as:
1. Jan Budtz
2. Joel Bembo-Leta
3. Andy McWilliams
4. Kristian Platt
5. Chris Lynch
6. Jack Rea
7. Steve Brogan
8. Greg Wilkinson
9. Phil Marsh
10. Lloyd Ellams
11. Connor Jennings

Celtic need a win to get back on track. The automated prediction algorithm reckons that Celtic will just snatch one, suggesting a 3-2 win. This will be vital with Guiseley and Nuneaton playing lower table opposition (both away, though). Hyde have a tricky fixture away at Gainsborough.

Other games on Saturday:
Altrincham (32pts 9th) v Colwyn Bay (28pts 13th)
Bishops Stortford (22pts 19th) v Guiseley (44pts 3rd)
Boston United (32pts 10th) v Blyth Spartans (12pts 22nd)
Corby Town (35pts 8th) v FC Halifax Town (39pts 5th)
Gainsborough Trinity (38pts 6th) v Hyde (59pts 1st)
Gloucester City (29pts 12th) v Solihull Moors (27pts 15th)
Harrogate Town (25pts 17th) v Histon (27pts 14th)
Hinckley United (22pts 20th) v Eastwood Town (14pts 21st)
Vauxhall Motors (pts th) v Worcester City (pts th)
Workington (pts th) v Nuneaton Town (pts th)

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