On Saturday, Celtic interrupt their league campaign for the first round proper of the FA Trophy when we travel to Nantwich?s new ground, kick off 3pm. Nantwich are currently fourteenth in the Unibond Premier League, fifteen points off the league leaders, Retford, with three games in hand on them. There will be a live match centre for this game.

Nantwich beat league leaders Retford in the first qualifying round of the Trophy, an own goal sending them through to face Leek Town, who they beat 4-1, and then Eastwood Town in the third Qualifying round. Despite being away, they dispatched Eastwood, winning 3-0. In the league, their season has taken a bit of a dip of late. In their most recent game, away at Bradford Park Avenue, a goal from ex-Celtic player Mark Hume condemned them to a 3-2 defeat, and the same player scored the only goal when Bradford visited Nantwich in their previous game, a game Bradford won 1-0. Their last win in the league was the 10th of October when they beat North Ferriby at home, 4-2. This differs from the start of the season, when they won seven of their opening fifteen games.

We have met Nantwich twice before. Once in 1978 in the FA Trophy, when we won 2-0 at Nantwich, and once in 2004 when we beat them 4-0 in the Cheshire Senior Cup, Ben Smith grabbing the opener in that match. Though we have visited them twice before, this will be our first visit to their new ground.

Nantwich have no suspensions ahead of the match, and have strengthened their team with a couple of new signings, including Marvin Robinson, who scored for Derby County in the premiership. In their last match, the 3-2 loss at Bradford Park Avenue, Nantwich lined up as:
1. Lee Jones
2. Aaron Carter
3. Dave Tickle
4. Darren Tinson
5. Richard Sutton
6. Jake Sedgemeore
7. Ashley Carter
8. Glyn Blackhurst
9. Andy Kinsey
10. Michael Lennon
11. Dave MacPherson

Celtic will be looking to continue their rich vein of form, which has seen us lose just once on the road this season, at Southport, and we are unbeaten in our last eleven away games across all competitions. With no suspensions, Celtic lined up against Gloucester on Tuesday night in our 4-1 home win over the visitors as:
1. Dave Carnell
2. Graeme Law
3. Andy Smart
4. Steve Woods
5. Warren Peyton
6. John Hardike
7. Dave Hankin
8. Keith Briggs
9. Joe O?Neill
10. Matty Barlow
11. Michael Carr

Nantwich will be no pushovers, and Celtic will need to be at their best to beat them. With no data to go on the automated Prediction algorithm is suggesting a tight 1-0 win for Celtic. If the match ends in a draw, the replay will be at Bower Fold on Tuesday 15th December, with a 7:45 kick off.