Next up at the Fold on Satuday (kick off 3pm) is Gainsborough Trinity. Gainsborough are currently fourteenth in the league, with one win and one loss giving them three points. There will be a live match centre for this game.
Gainsborough finished last season in eighteenth place, after skirting relegation all season with only a good April with four wins out of six seeing them safe. Their top scorer last season was Ryan Kendal (still with the club) with fifteen goals. Both of Gainsborough's meetings with Celtic last season saw Celtic run out the winners, with a 3-1 score line for Celtic in March at the Northolme (two from Jennings and one from Ellams securing the points), whilst there was a comfortable 2-0 win at Bower Fold (both goals in the first half from Phil Marsh).
Going further back, Celtic have won four out of four of the last encounters, with Trinity's last win over the Celts being back in February 2009, when they won 2-1 after Celtic had held them to a controversial 3-3 draw back in December 2008 in the same season. In the last twenty-five years Celtic have won thirteen of their encounters with Trinity at Bower Fold, and lost only twice in eighteen meetings, knocking Gainsborough out of the Trophy twice in the process (in 2006 and again in 1999). The automated prediction algorithm is suggesting a 4-3 win for Celtic on Saturday.
This season, Gainsborough have so far only played one away game, losing last Monday 0-3 away at Hinckley United after winning their opening home encounter 3-1 over Solihull. Gavin Cowan scored twice against Solihull, putting him already a third of the way towards his tally for last season. New signing Darryn Stamp (from Guiseley) got the third. In their last match, the 3-0 defeat to Hinckley, Gainsborough lined up as:
1. Phil Barnes
2. Domonic Roma
3. Kevin Sandwith
4. Gavin Cowan
5. Andrew Boyce
6. Michael Leary
7. Jonathan D'Laryea
8. Ryan Williams
9. Ryan Kendall
10. Daryl Clare
11. Jamie Yates
Celtic have kicked off the 2011/12 season with two cracking wins, beating Nuneaton away 2-1 and Harrogate at home 3-2, and will be looking to maintain their 100% start to the season. In their last match against Harrogate, Celtic lined up as:
1. Jan Budtz
2. Joel Bembo-Leta
3. Andy McWilliams
4. Rhys Meynell
5. Kristian Platt
6. Jack Rea
7. Adam Kay
8. Greg Wilkinson
9. Phil Marsh
10. Lloyd Ellams
11. Craig Hobson
With Corby and Hyde both playing each other on Saturday, one of the two will be dropping points, whilst Droylsden host Nuneaton and Eastwood are away at Colwyn Bay, so a win would help keep Celtic at the top of the league, we are currently second.
Games on Saturday:
Altrincham (1pt 17th) v Histon (2pts 15th)
Blyth Spartans (1pt 16th) v Bishops Stortford (0pts 22nd)
Boston United (4pts 7th) v Vauxhall Motors (0pts 21st)
Colwyn Bay (3pts 10th) v Eastwood Town (4pts 4th)
Corby Town (6pts 1st) v Hyde (6pts 3rd)
Droylsden (4pts 5th) v Nuneaton (1pt 19th)
Gloucester City (4pts 6th) v Workington (1pt 18th)
Hinckley United (3pts 12th) v Harrogate Town (3pts 11th)
Solihull Moors (0pts 20th) v Guiseley (3pts 8th)
Worcester City (3pts 9th) v FC Halifax Town (3pts 13th)