Match Preview :- Boston United - Saturday February 13th, 2016 (15:00:00)

On Saturday Celtic travel to the East Coast to face Boston United in the league clash (kick off 3pm). Boston are currently third in the league on fifty-one points, eleven places and eighteen points ahead of Celtic, though they have played three games more. There will be a match centre for this match.

In Boston's opening eleven matches, they had six losses, a draw and four wins, which left them definitely mid-table; however, since then they have lost only four times, and not at all at home. Their last home loss was against Fylde back in mid-September, a game they lost 3-0. That was also the last time they failed to score at home. Boston have won their last five home matches, and the last time they dropped points at home was a 3-3 draw with Harrogate Town. This leaves them just four points off top team Solihull, though Boston have played more games than anybody else in the top five.

In Dayle Southwell, Boston have the league's current top scorer, on fifteen goals. He is head and shoulders above his nearest rival, Carl Piergianni, who has seven. At home they score an average of 1.9 goals per game, conceding 1.2 goals per game. Overally, this is scoring 1.8 goals per game and conceding 1.4. Only North Ferriby have scored more goals than Boston, though they are definitely mid-table for their defence, sitting twelfth. They have scored fifty-two goals, and conceded forty-one. The first quarter of an hour after half time is their dangerous period, with twenty of their goals scored in this period. Just after the hour mark is their weakest point, with ten goals conceded. At home, they have kept five clean sheets, and failed to score just once.

There have been quite a few matches over the past thirty years between Boston and Celtic, apart from a 1-0 win for Boston at Bower Fold in 2012, the away team has never won. This means we have never won at Boston. Last season, both matches finished as 1-1 draws. Liam Dickinson cancelled out a harsh penalty decision that Dayle Southwell converted. The last meeting of the two teams was at Bower Fold, with a spectacular Michael Powell volley cancelling out Scott Garner's second minute opener. Boston's last win over Celtic was in the 13/14 season when they beat 4-1. Joel Bembo-Leta had given Celtic the lead, only for a total collapse in the last quarter of an hour see Boston notch four goals. In eight visits, we've had three draws and lost five. At Bower Fold, in the eight matches at Bower Fold, Celtic have won five, drawn two and lost just once.

Though Dayle Southwell has been missing since the turn of the year though injury, Boston have seen defender Dylan McEvoy return in their last match. They have also been busy with signings, with Josh Venney on loan from Grimsby Town, Stephane Ngamvouolou on loan from Whitehawk and signed defender Joe Burgess from Ilkeston Town. Boston lost their last match 1-0 away at Worcester City, but will be looking to maintain their recent hundred percent home record, and inch closer to the top spot. In that match, they lined up as:
1. Fabien Spiess
2. Liam Marrs
3. Scott Garner
4. Carl Pierginanni
5. Dylan McEvoy
6. Kaine Felix
7. Grant Roberts
8. Josh Venney
9. Jay Rollins
10. John Sands
11. Lewis Hillard

Celtic will be without Aaron Chalmers, who has a one match suspension after his sending off against Curzon. Celtic won our last away match 2-0 at Lowestoft, and our Wednesday night match in the Manchester cup against Radcliffe Borough 3-1. In that match, Celtic lined up as: 1. Tony McMillan
2. Oliver Crowley
3. Aidan Chippendale
4. John Shaw
5. Jack Higgins
6. Dale Wright
7. Bohan Dixon
8. Alex Mudimu
9. Adam Farrell
10. Alex Johnson
11. Danny Burns

FC United and Worcester City are both within striking distance of Celtic, should we fail to win and they do. Should we do something we've never done, and win at Boston, Celtic could be level on points with eleventh placed Chorley, and keep in touch with seventh spot Tamworth who are only six points ahead of us. The top six have started to break away now, with an eight point gap between Tamworth in seventh and Nuneaton in eighth.

Other matches this weekend, weather permitting:
AFC Fylde (49pts 4th) v Gloucester City (36pts 12th)
Brackley Town (28pts 18th) v Nuneaton Town (47pts 6th)
Bradford Park Avenue (29pts 17th) v Stockport County (34pts 13th)
Chorley (36pts 11th) v Worcester City (31pts 16th)
Corby Town (25pts 22nd) v Tamworth (39pts 7th)
FC United of Manchester (32pts 15th) v Alfreton Town (37pts 9th)
Hednesford Town (26pts 19th) v Gainsborough Trinity (37pts 10th)
North Ferriby United (52pts 2nd) v Harrogate Town (49pts 5th)
Solihull Moors (56pts 1st) v AFC Telford (26pts 29th)

Directions
Distance: 115
Time: 2 hours and 40 minutes

Go via the Woodhead pass to the M1 and join the M1 heading South.
Stay on the M1 for 13 miles to Junction 31 (Worksop, A57).
At the roundabout turn left (exit 1 of 4) onto the A57 towards Worksop.
Stay on the A57 for thirteen miles to a roundabout with the A1.
Go straight across (exit 2 of 4) onto the A1.
Stay on the A1 for 19 miles to a roundabout with the A17.
Stay on the A17 for 33 miles to a junction with the A1121, exit here.
Stay on the A1121 for 5 miles where it merges with the A52 (Sleafort Road).
After an additional 2 miles there is a roundabout with the A16, turn left here (exit 1 of 3) onto the A16 (John Adams Way).
After less than a mile down the dual carriageway, turn right at the lights onto Main Ridge Road, and take the first left onto York Street.
The club is on the left.