Match Preview :- Scarborough Athletic - Saturday January 4th, 2020 (15:00:00)

On Saturday, Celtic travel to the seaside to face Scarborough Athletic. Scarborough are currently twelfth on thirty points, six points and seven places below fifth placed Celtic, having played a game more.

Up until the end of November, Scarborough had won four games, drawing six and losing eight, leaving them in the lower reaches of the table. Since the start of December, they have turned their fortunes around, and have won four in their last six, losing two, including their New Year's Day derby with South Shields, 2-1 at South Shields. Their last home match was a 1-0 win over Morpeth in Scarborough. They have won their last three home matches, also beating Mickleover 4-1 and Whitby 2-1. The last team to beat them at home was Lancaster in mid-November. That defeat was the only time they have lost at home, with six draws and four wins giving them eighteen points from a possible thirty-three.

Perennial league top scorer, James Walshaw, has scored a third of Scarborough's twenty-seven goals with nine. At home they've scored twelve at a rate of 1.1 goals per game, with Walshaw bagging nearly half of them. At the other end, they have only conceded seven of their thirty-seven goals at home at a rate of 0.6 goals per game, giving them one of the best home defences in the league, with only Morpeth and Radcliffe conceding fewer at home. Their away form has been their downfall, and overall, they concede 2.3 goals per game, twice conceding five on their travels, including the opening day at Bower Fold. They have kept four of their five clean sheets at home, though they have also failed to score three times (six overall) at home.

Since Scarborough were reformed, we've only played them three times, winning two and losing once with our last visit to the Sea-siders seeing us win 2-1 at the end of last season on a very windy day, with Scott Bakkor and Josh Solomon-Davies winning the game in the last five minutes. On the opening day of this season, Celtic beat Scarborough 5-1 at Bower Fold, with Craig Hobson, Kallum Mantack, Ross Dent, Declan Walker and Liam MacDevitt all on the score sheet. We visited Scarborough's previous incarnation twice, winning one and drawing one, with Mitchell Austin's eighty yard run and goal in the dying moments an enduring memory of the 2006/07 season.

Scarborough's last match was the 2-1 away defeat to South Shields. Their line-up for that match is not available. Instead, in their previous match, the 1-0 home win over Morpeth, they lined up as:
1. Thomas Taylor
2. Jack Johnson
3. Wayne Brooksby
4. Josh Barrett
5. Harry Coates
6. Isaac Assenso
7. Ryan Watson
8. Peter Davidson
9. James Walshaw
10. Michael Coulson
11. Connor Thomson

Celtic's last game was our 0-0 home draw with Ashton. In that match, we lined up as:
1. Toby Saver
2. Declan Walker
3. Kallum Mantack
4. Ross Dent
5. Stephen O'Halloran
6. Chris Smalley
7. Scott Bakkor
8. Anthony Whitehead
9. Craig Hobson
10. Darius Osei
11. Jonathan Ustabasi

Alex Fojtíček is once again eligible to play after his red card against Mickleover, though he now has competition between the sticks with Toby Saver having a clean sheet on his debut. However, Jonathan Ustabasi's red card against Hyde on Boxing Day means he will be suspended for the match.

FC United and Basford United are both within reach of Celtic, should we beat Scarborough, being two and one point ahead of us, respectively. Lancaster are three points ahead, but have a superior goal difference. FC United are at Hyde and Basford are at Matlock, whilst Lancaster at home to Morpeth. Four teams are closing in on Celtic after our goalless draw on New Year's Day, with Warrington (at home to Atherton), Radcliffe (at home to Bamber Bridge), Nantwich (away at Mickleover) and Hyde (at home to FC) all within three points.

Directions
Distance: 106
Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes

Take the M60 to junction 18 and join the M62 towards Leeds.
Stay on the M62 for 25 miles to junction 29 (M1/M621) and join the M1.
Stay on the M1 for 10 miles and join the A1(M).
Stay on the A1(M) for 1 1/2 miles to junction 44 (A64, York).
Stay on the A64 for 52 miles to a set of lights and turn right onto Valley Road.
After half a mile and a roundabout, turn right onto Ashburn Road.
The club is at the end of the road.