On Saturday, Celtic host Runcorn Linnets for the league fixture. Runcorn are currently fifth, on twenty-nine points, one place and one point ahead of Celtic, but they have two games in hand. Kick-off is 3pm – weather permitting.

Those two games in hand on us, and three games in hand on Avro, Bury and Shifnal, mean Runcorn are in something of a false position. Based on points per game, they should be third. They have lost twice all season, once away at Bury, and once at home to Shifnal. Runcorn have played four more away games this season than home games, winning four of their away games, and drawing four. They are currently unbeaten in seven matches, with five wins and two draws. Both of those draws were away, but they beat both Nantwich and Wythenshawe in their last two games – both away. The loss to Bury, their last away defeat, was at the start of September.

The reason for their good form this season is their excellent defence, currently the best in the league, having conceded fourteen all season (seven away), at a rate of 0.8 goals per away game and a goal per game overall. They have kept three of their four clean sheets while on the road, but both times they have failed to score has also been on the road. Apart from Bury, Mossley are the only other team who prevented them scoring. Overall, they have twenty-eight goals, mid-table in terms of attacks this season, with twelve coming away from home, scoring at a rate of 1.3 goals per away game and two goals a game overall. Their top scorer is former Celt, Scott Bakkor, on five.

Runcorn are a bogey side for Celtic. We have met them four times in the league since their reformation, and Runcorn have won all four. Last season, Celtic led 2-0 both times (Jack Irlam with a goal in each game, while Liam Tongue and Lewis Rawsthorn got the others), but Runcorn came back to win 3-2. They also beat us in the Cheshire Senior Cup Final, this time scoring three without reply. The previous season, they won both games 1-0. The only time we have beaten them was back in 2013, when we beat them 2-1 in the Cheshire Senior Cup.

In Runcorn’s last match the 2-0 away win over Nantwich, Runcorn lined up as:
1. Bayleigh Passant
2. Joe Ferguson
3. Matty Rain
4. Markell Foulds
5. Adam Rooney
6. Harvey Washington
7. Declan McLoughlin
8. Lewis Doyle
9. Scott Bakkor
10. Lewis Crane
11. Naim Arsan

In Celtic’s last match, the 4-1 home win over Wythenshawe, Celtic lined up as:
1. Charlie Monks
2. Mike Koral
3. Kyle Brownhill
4. Jordan Butterworth
5. Aaron Chalmers
6. Jack Tinning
7. Andy Scarisbrick
8. Liam Tongue
9. Ruben Jerome
10. Brandon Newell
11. Ellis Horan

Celtic are four points behind fourth, but we do have a game in hand on Shifnal (at home to Kidsgrove), so the highest we could go with a win is to swap places with Runcorn in fifth. Vauxhall (at home to Mossley), Chasetown (away at Congleton), Atherton (at home to Khalsa) and Nantwich (away at Avro) are all within three points of Celtic, so if results go against us, we could drop to tenth with a loss. With a draw, we could drop two places to eighth.