On Tuesday, Celtic face Mickleover in the league. Mickleover are one place and one point above Celtic, giving Celtic a chance to leapfrog the visitors. Kick-off is 7:45pm and tickets are available on the gate or online.

Mickleover’s last away win saw them beat Nantwich back in January. This is one of three away wins for Mickleover this season, the others being Hyde on New Year’s Day and Atherton Collieries in October. All three have been in their last ten away matches, meaning they’ve won three drawn one and lost six. However, in their last five, they have lost two, won two and drawn one. Mickleover’s last away match was a 3-1 defeat to Morpeth. From a possible forty-eight points available on the road, with three wins and three draws, they have picked up twelve points. Mickleover did win their last match, beating Matlock 2-1 at home and since the start of 2022, they have lost only two of their nine matches, winning six. In that time, only Scarborough have beaten them at home. For most of the season, they have been in the bottom six.

Andrew Dales has been their top scorer so far this season, with seven of Mickleover’s forty goals. Fifteen of those goals have come away at a rate of 0.9 goals per game (1.2 overall). They have failed to score in six away matches (from eleven overall). Only three teams (Atherton, Basford and Gainsborough) have scored fewer away goals this season. Defensively, only two teams (Witton and Grantham) have conceded more away from home. Their conceding has been at a rate of 1.9 goals per game on the road and 1.6 overall. Mickleover have kept one clean sheet on the road, from six in total; that was their 1-0 win over Nantwich.

Celtic have never beaten Mickleover at Bower Fold. They have made three visits, with two wins and a draw, their last visit a 3-1 win, with Darius Osei getting Celtic’s goal, but two goals in a minute after halftime gave Mickleover the points. The last meeting between the two sides saw Celtic win for the first time in Mickleover, when we beat them 3-1, with two goals from Marcus Dackers and a third from Jake Burton.

Mickleover’s last match, the 2-1 home win over Matlock Town, saw Mickleover line up as:
1. Jonathan Hedge
2. Elliott Walker
3. Rhys Dolan
4. James Butler
5. Phil Watt
6. Kemy Augustien
7. Andy Dales
8. Ben Radcliffe
9. Shaquille McDonald
10. Stuart Beavon
11. George Milner

In Celtic’s last match, the 0-0 away draw at Grantham Town, Celtic lined up as:
1. Grant Shenton
2. Douglas Nyaumpembe
3. Josh Edwards
4. Sam Wedgbury
5. Kennan Quansah
6. Shane Killock
7. Sam McLintock
8. Charley Doyle
9. Raul Correia
10. Callum Harris
11. Justin Johnson

Jay Fitzmartin has been recalled, whilst Celtic’s injury crisis eased a little with the return of Raul Correia. The squad has been bolstered by striker Connor Falls and fullback Josh Edwards.

A win for Celtic, as well as a welcome end to a run of six games without a win, could see us rise five places to fourteenth, with Basford, Radcliffe, Nantwich (at home to Grantham), Hyde and Mickleover all within reach. This is our game in hand on Basford and Radcliffe, so we need to make it count. A loss could see us drop a place into the bottom three, with Gainsborough (away at Atherton) within three points of us.