On Saturday, Celtic make our longest away trip of the season as we travel to Shifnal Town. Shifnal are currently sixth on sixteen points, four places and three points behind Celtic having played two games more. Kick off is 3pm.

Shifnal had a great start to life in the Northern Premier. Though they lost their opening two matches to Chasetown and Clitheroe (both 1-0 defeats), they have only lost once since, away at Bury. Their last three matches have all been draws, with Bootle, Atherton and, most recently, Khalsa. Shifnal are consistent with their home and away form, wining two and drawing two. They have lost one more on the road than at home, but they have played an extra away game. Hopefully, Celtic can even that stat up for them. Shifnal have been in the top five since their fourth game, though successive draws have allowed Avro’s recent win to force them out.

In the top ten teams, only Avro have scored fewer home goals, but they have the third best home defence, with nobody in the top fourteen teams conceding fewer goals at home. Shaquille Leachman-Whittingham leads their goal-scorer’s chart with three goals so far this season, scoring in both their previous two games. On average they score 1.2 goals per game, and concede 0.6 at home and a goal per game overall. Though they have scored four in the last few minutes, it was only against Khalsa when this affected the outcome.

This will be our first visit to Shifnal, with the two teams having never met before.

In Shifnal’s last match the 1-1 draw away at Sporting Khalsa, Shifnal lined up as:
1. Andrew Wycherley
2. Josh Green
3. Kane Lewis
4. Jack Fishman
5. Louis Bradford
6. Kyle Bennett
7. Jack Loughran
8. Kevin Da Vega Monteiro
9. Ryan Booth
10. Craig Pitchard
11. Jack Hodnett

In Celtic’s last match, the 3-1 home win over Congleton, Celtic lined up as:
1. Charlie Monks
2. Charlie Doyle
3. Kyle Brownhill
4. Jordan Butterworth
5. Jack Byrne
6. Brandon Newell
7. Andy Scarisbrick
8. Liam Tongue
9. Benni Smales-Braithwaite
10. Tunde Owolabi
11. Ellis Horan

Jack Tinning, Jack Irlam, Mike Koral and Ruben Jerome have all been receiving treatment this week and missed out on Tuesday’s game.

Chasetown are away at Bury on Saturday and a win for Celtic over Shifnall would put us top on the same number of games if Bury win. Meanwhile, Lower Breck host Darlaston, and Avro host Congleton, so a loss for Celtic with wins for Bury, Avro and Lower Breck would see us drop to fifth. Although three points behind us, we have a nine goal advantage over Shifnal, so it would be a remarkable game were they to leapfrog us.