On Tuesday, Celtic travel up the M6 to Workington for the Conference North clash with the Cumbrian outfit. Workington are currently eleventh in the table with thirty-one points, just two places and five points behind Celtic having played one game more. There is no coach to this match, but there will be a live match centre.
Workington are coming into the match on the back of a recent string of good results, and they have not been beaten in the league in six games and have lost only two in the past ten. This string of good results has lifted them from the relegation spots to a height of tenth. They have achieved this because their defence is solid with ten clean sheets, a record in this league. With a mere 0.9 goals per game and twenty-one in total conceded, Workington have the best defence in the league. Workington may not score many, but with only one goalless draw, five of their six defeats this season have come when they have failed to score, only Redditch have beaten them when Workington have scored this season.
Games against Workington this season have been second half affairs, with five of their twenty goals this season coming in the first half, and only four of their conceded twenty-one coming in the first half. Their most dangerous period is just after the hour mark, when they have netted half of their goals, whilst their weakest period is after the seventy minute mark, with half of the conceding done here. Their top scorer this season is Gareth Arnison who has scored nine goals, nearly half of Workington?s tally this season. He has scored in seven games this season and Workington have won six of them, so he is something of a lucky charm for them. On average, Workington score 0.9 goals per game overall and 0.8 at home. They concede an average of 0.9 goals per game overall, and 0.7 at home.
The one game that Arnison scored in that Workington didn?t win was the meeting earlier this season between Celtic and Workington at Bower Fold, a game that finished 2-2. Previous meetings at Workington could not be more even, with three wins each and three draws in the previous nine games. Our last visit there was a 2-0 win for Celtic, with Workington?s last win at home against us coming back in September 2007.
Workington have no suspension and are seemingly injury free ahead of the match. Their last game was a 1-0 win over Solihull Moors. In that match, Workington lined up as:
1. Tony Craig
2. Andy Langford
3. Gari Rowntree
4. Kyle May
5. Lee Andrews
6. Shaun Vipond
7. Phil McLuckie
8. Tony Hopper
9. Jonny Wright
10. Gareth Arnison
11. Anthony Wright
Matty Barlow is still in contention, with his suspension not kicking in until Saturday?s clash at Ilkeston. Michael Carr and John Hardiker were both missing from the starting eleven in Celtic?s last match, though Carr was on the bench in our 2-2 draw against Stafford. In that match, Celtic lined up as:
1. Dave Carnell
2. Richard Battersby
3. Andy Smart
4. Steve Woods
5. Warren Peyton
6. Barrie Keeling
7. Dave Hankin
8. Keith Briggs
9. Joe O?Neill
10. Connor Jennings
11. Matty Barlow
The automated prediction algorithm is suggesting a tight game on Tuesday night, with a 3-2 win for Workington. An interesting stat is that when Celtic have scored first this season, we have not lost, however, against Workington?s watertight defence, scoring will take something special.