On Saturday, Celtic face another stern test when Colwyn Bay are the visitors (kick off 3pm). Colwyn Bay are currently twelfth in the league on sixteen points, seven places and five points ahead of Celtic. There will be a match centre for this game.
Colwyn Bay's away record is something to behold, especially when compared to their home record. If the table is ordered on home wins only, Colwyn Bay sit one place off the bottom, with four points from one win and one draw. They have lost four of their six home games. Do the same, but for away games, and suddenly Colwyn Bay are promotion contenders, just three points off top spot Oxford, in fourth. They have yet to lose away from Llanelian Road, with three wins and three draws. They and Guiseley are the only two teams yet to lose away from home.
That said, they lost their last match away at Warrington Town in an FA Cup replay.
Colwyn Bay have kept four clean sheets this season, most recently away at Hednesford Town. That win ended a run of four games without a win, so although they are yet to lose away from home, two of their last three trips have been draws, with both Tamworth and Guiseley drawing on their own turf.
For more bad news, Celtic have not beaten Colwyn Bay at Bower Fold since the formation of the Conference North. The Seagull's last visit in December 2013 was a 3-2 win for Colwyn Bay, whilst their previous visit was a 3-3 draw. At Llanelian Road, Celtic have a better record, winning two out of our last three visits, and in March 2001, recording a 7-1 win over Colwyn Bay. That said, in 2012, they beat us at Bower Fold 4-0.
Former Celts, Obi Anorou, Tom Buckley, Prince Haywood and Joel Bembo-Leta are all now at Colwyn Bay, although Tom Buckley is a doubt through injury. Lanre Olapade and Moustapha Saiel are also likely to be out through injuries, Paulo Mendes had just returned from injury in Colwyn Bay's last match, but then had to be replaced half way through the game. In that match, the 1-0 away defeat to Warrington Town, Colwyn Bay lined up as:
1. Josh Ollerenshaw
2. Joel Bembo-Leta
3. Louis Moss
4. Jon Royle
5. Anthony Stephens
6. Chris Noone
7. Paulo Mendes
8. Obi Anoruo
9. Rob Hopley
10. Ryan Williams
11. Wes Baynes
Celtic too crashed out of a cup mid-week, losing 2-0 to Nantwich Town in the Cheshire Senior Cup. Both Matty Hughes and Liam Dickinson will be suspended for the Colwyn Bay match, whilst Anthony Malbon, Kelvin Bleau and Matt Regan were all rested in the Nantwich match. In that game, Celtic lined up as:
1. Lewis King
2. Oliver Crowley
3. Nathan Heath
4. Matty Hughes
5. Harley Wigley
6. Sam Staunton-Turner
7. Ben McKenna
8. Keith Briggs
9. Aidan Chippendale
10. James Cadman
11. Liam Dickinson
Celtic are currently down near the bottom of the table, without a win in five matches now, making Saturday's game very important. The top half of the table is starting to pull away, whilst two of the bottom three are now within striking distance of us.
Other games on Saturday:
AFC Fylde (28pts 1st) v Gainsborough Trinity (15pts 14th)
Barrow (23pts 4th) v Gloucester City (8pts 21st)
Boston United (18pts 9th) v Hyde (6pts 22nd)
Brackley Town (15pts 14th) v Tamworth (10pts 20th)
Hednesford Town (18pts 8th) v Bradford Park Avenue (14pts 16th)
Leamington FC (16pts 13th) v Stockport County (20pts 6th)
Lowestoft Town (13pts 17th) v Oxford City (24pts 3rd)
North Ferriby United (18pts 7th) v Guiseley (22pts 5th)
Solihull Moors (17pts 10th) v Chorley (24pts 2nd)
Worcester City (17pts 11th) v Harrogate Town (13pts 19th)