Match Preview :- Mickleover FC - Saturday October 23rd, 2021 (15:00:00)

On Saturday, Celtic travel to Derbyshire to face Mickleover. Mickleover are currently 18th in the league, eight points and nine places below Celtic, with a game in hand. They are currently one point above the bottom three.

After winning two of their opening three games (beating Gainsborough and Ashton), they have since gone on to win only once in their last twelve when they beat Hyde 3-2 at the end of August. Since then, they have gone nine games without a win drawing four. They’ve yet to win on the road. In their last five home matches they have had two draws, both goalless, against Nantwich and, most recently, Stafford. This is a massive change from the ten games they played last season when they won seven of their last eight after losing their two opening games. They drew the remaining game. That left them top as the season ended. In the previous curtailed season, they were inconsistent, with 6 losses, 1 draw and 6 wins at home.

In their last seven matches, they have registered just one goal when they drew 1-1 away at Scarborough. Their last goal at home was a 2-1 defeat by Whitby five games ago. Mickleover have drawn a blank in their last three games. Only the two goalless home draws have seen Mickleover not concede in their last ten matches. Since their last win, they have scored three and conceded eleven. Overall Mickleover score an average of a goal a game at home (0.7 overall), thanks to early season. Meanwhile they concede an average of 1.2 goals per game at home (1.6 overall). They have failed to score 4 times at home from 8 overall. With 5 goals, Andrew Dales is their top scorer, whilst Declan Bacon has three.

We last met Mickleover in the first curtailed season when we played them home and away, losing both matches; 1-0 at their place and 3-1 in the reverse fixture. Celtic have never won in Mickleover in the three visits we have made, we have only managed to score one goal back at the end of the 2018/19 season when Elliot Cooke scored a goal of the season contender, but Celtic ultimately lost 2-1. We have also never beaten Mickleover at Bower Fold, with our best result a goalless draw in 2018. We perhaps should have earned a draw in 2019, but Craig Hobson’s flicked shot cleared from behind the line by a defender was not allowed to stand.

In Mickleover’s last match, the goalless draw at home to Stafford, saw Mickleover line up as:
1. Callum Hawkins
2. Jake Bennet
3. Jordan Gough
4. Joe Bateman
5. James Butler
6. Pablo Mills
7. Liam Ravenhill
8. Andrew Wright
9. Andy Dales
10. Kemy Augustien
11. Les Holmes

Celtic’s last match was 2-1 home defeat to Bamber Bridge, in which we lined up as:
1. Will Huffer
2. Douglas Nyaupembe
3. Ashley Smith-Brown
4. Sam Wedgbury
5. Connor O’Grady
6. Keenan Quansah
7. Jay Fitzmartin
8. Charley Doyle
9. Marcus Dackers
10. Ethan Padden
11. Justin Johnson

Mickleover have brought in a new striker, Adam Haw, on loan from Guisley and signed Jordan Gough to strengthen their defence. For Celtic, Jay Fitzmartin has joined the injury list after being stretchered off early in the defeat to Bamber Bridge, whilst Scott Bakkor was missing through injury. Josh Dawodu has joined Celtic on loan from Sheffield Wednesday. All runs must come to an end, as we found out in Warrington, so Celtic could end Mickleover’s dominance over them this weekend.

Directions
Distance: 51
Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Head toward Glossop, at the Simmondly souble roundabout, turn right at the second roundabout, following signs for Chapel-en-le-Frith onto A624.
After 8 miles, at the roundabout, join the A6.
Stay on the A6 for 6 miles to Buxton.
At the roundabout, take the first exit onto Bakewell Road.
After quarter of a mile, just after the next roundabout, turn right onto Dukes Drive.
After a mile, turn left onto A515 (Ashbourne Road).
Stay on the A515 for 20 miles to Ashnourne.
Turn left onto the A52 (Derby Road).
Stay on the A52 for 9 miles and turn right onto B5020 (Moor Lane).
After 2 miles, turn right onto Station Road.
The ground is the first left.