Match Preview :- Stafford Rangers - Saturday October 17th, 2009 (15:00:00)
Celtic are back to league action on Saturday when we travel down the M6 to Stafford Rangers for the Conference North fixture (kick off 3pm), looking to bounce back from their exit from the FA Cup. Stafford are currently sixteenth on twelve points, nine points and eleven places behind Celtic in the league table. Brian is running a coach to this game, and there will be a live match centre.

Stafford have won just once at home this season, beating Workington 2-0, with their other two wins coming on the road at Harrogate and Redditch. Their other three points have come from draws with Eastwood and Farsley at home, and Vauxhall away. At home they have lost to Corby Town, Solihull Moors and most recently Hinckley United who beat them 3-2 in their last match. In the FA Cup, Stafford were like ourselves, holding a lower league side (Coventry Sphinx) to a draw away, and then losing the replay on Tuesday night (3-2). The difference being, that they went out in the round before us, the second qualifying. Their biggest defeat of the season came when they visited Droylsden and lost 7-1.

Their top goal scorer this season is Nick Wellecomm, who has scored seven of their twenty-two goals this season, with his nearest rival, Bobby Wilson four goals behind on three. In total they have scored eleven times at home this season, exactly half of their total goals. Most of their goals have come in the first half, with nine coming in the middle period of the half, making this their most dangerous period. They have conceded thirteen of their twenty-nine goals at home, split almost half and half between the two halves. Their most vulnerable period is the opening twenty-five minutes, when they have conceded nine. On average they score 1.8 goals per game, whilst conceding 2.2 at home and 2.4 overall. They have kept one clean sheet (at home to Workington) and scored in all but two games, only failing to score in one game at home (to Corby Town).

Our last meeting was on Valentine?s Day last season, when we came away with a 1-0 win. That was our first win in Stafford in seven attempts, with Stafford winning the previous three matches there. We did the double over them last season, beating them at home also, with a 2-0 score line. The Automated Prediction Algorithm thinks that Celtic will get back on the winning streak with a 4-2 win, continuing a good vein of goal scoring.

Stafford will be without fullback Jermaine Johnson, who is serving a one match ban for a sending off in their FA Cup replay against Coventry Sphinx. In Stafford?s last match, the 3-2 defeat at home to Hinckley United, Stafford lined up as:
1. Will Lumley
2. Jermaine Johnson
3. Jon Patrick
4. Tom Thorley
5. Bobby Wilson
6. Andy Owens
7. Fabrice Kasiama
8. Levi Reid
9. Ben Mills
10. Nick Wellecomme
11. Luke Morgan

Celtic are almost back up to full strength, with Barrie Keeling the only absentee. In our last match, the 1-0 home defeat to FC United of Manchester that saw us exit the FA Cup, we lined up as:
1. Paul Phillips
2. Richard Battersby
3. Graeme Law
4. Steve Woods
5. Warren Peyton
6. John Hardiker
7. Dave Hankin
8. Keith Briggs
9. Joe O?Neill
10. Matty Barlow
11. Connor Jennings

Celtic are currently one point behind second placed Southport, and four behind first placed Droylsden (who have played a game more), whilst there are four teams within three points of us lower in the table, waiting for us to make a slip-up. A win could see us go second, whilst a defeat could see us drop to ninth.

Other games in the Conference North on Saturday:
AFC Telford United (16pts, 10th) v Southport (22pts, 2nd)
Blyth Spartans (15pts, 11th) v Hinckley United (20pts, 7th)
Droylsden (25pts, 1st) v Workington (13pts, 14th)
Gainsborough Trinity (11pts, 17th) v Solihull Moors (11pts, 18th)
Gloucester City (12pts, 15th) v Fleetwood Town (21pts, 4th)
Harrogate Town (11pts, 19th) v Alfreton Town (18pts, 9th)
Hyde United (15pts, 12th) v Corby Town (21pts, 6th)
Ilkeston Town (20pts, 8th) v Northwich Victoria (13pts, 13th)
Redditch United (10pts, 20th) v Farsley Celtic (6pts, 22nd)
Vauxhall Motors (9pts, 21st) v Eastwood Town (22pts, 3rd)
Table
P Pts
17 Solihull Moors 13 12
18 Vauxhall Motors 13 12
19 Stafford Rangers 12 11
20 Harrogate Town 14 11
21 Redditch United 12 10
Results
Sat 17 Oct 2009Stalybridge Celtic0-2
Sat 03 Oct 2009Hinckley United2-3
Sat 19 Sep 2009Harrogate Town4-1
Sat 12 Sep 2009Eastwood Town3-3
Tue 08 Sep 2009Southport2-4
Goal Scorers
Wellecomme, Nick6
Wilson, Bobby3
Johnson, Jermaine2
Mills, Ben2
Thompson, Steve2
Previous Meetings
Saturday August 10, 2024
1
0
Saturday February 25, 2023
0
2
Saturday November 12, 2022
0
3
Saturday February 26, 2022
2
0
Saturday October 02, 2021
2
1
Records
Home win Workington2-0Sat 15th Aug
Away win Harrogate Town1-4Sat 19th Sep
Home defeat Corby Town0-2Tue 11th Aug
Away defeat Droylsden7-1Sat 5th Sep
Home score Eastwood Town3-3Sat 12th Sep
Away score Droylsden7-1Sat 5th Sep
Games Since... Overall Home Away
Last Scored 111
Last Conceded 111
Last Won 241
Last Drew 112
Directions
Distance: 68
Time: 1 hour and 20 minutes

From the M67 join the M60 towards Stockport.
After 7 miles, leave the M60 at Junction 4 (Chester, M6) to join the M56 Stay on the M56 for 7 miles, coming off at junction 7 (Northwich, M6) to join the A556.
The roundabout can be avoided by using the slip road.
Stay on the A556 for 5 miles to the roundabout with the M6.
Join the M6 southbound (Birmingham) avoiding the roundabout by using the slip road.
Stay on the M6 for 38 miles to junction 14 with the A34 (Stafford).
At the roundabout at the bottom of the slip road, turn left exit 1 of 5 onto the A34 (signposted Uttoxeter).
After 3/4 of a mile there is a roundabout - go straight across (exit 2 of 4) to join the A513 (Beaconside).
After 1/2 a mile, take the third right (immediate next right after the first left onto Marston Lane) onto Common Road.
The club is one mile down Common Road opposite the Audi garage.