The Magic of The FA Cup comes to Bower Fold on Saturday with Guiseley the opposition (Kick off 3pm). Guiseley are right behind Celtic in the Conference North table, making this is the pick of the games in the round. There will be a live match centre.
Guiseley currently reside in fourth in the table with twenty-two points, two places and seven points behind Celtic, but league positions and points mean very little in the FA Cup. Guiseley's season so far this season has seen them do very well at home, winning every game except their last against Halifax, and scoring a lot of goals in the process. They've beaten Blyth 5-0 and Vauxhall 4-1. They even managed to score three against Halifax, ultimately losing 3-4. Away from home it's a different story. They have beaten Corby and Solihull Moors (both 1-0) away from home, but were held to a 2-2 draw at Altrincham and have lost at Droylsden (2-0) and, most recently, at Gainsborough (1-0).
They have failed to score in two of their away games, but have scored in every home match. In their five away matches this season, they have scored four with Ciran Toner and Gavin Rothery getting their away goals this season. Guiseley's top scorer is Rothery with seven, with ex-Celtic striker, Lee Ellington his closest rival for the golden boot on four. Though they may not be free scoring away from home, they are defensively solid and have conceded just ten goals, and have kept five clean sheets, including two away from home. They have the league's third best attack with 2.27 goals per game, with only Hyde and us ahead of them, and they have the league's fourth best defence, conceding just a goal per game. This is pitting one of the league's best defences against the league's most potent attack, us. What this is suggesting, is that our best chance of progressing past our first round in the cup will be on Saturday, and Guiseley will be hoping to take us back to Nethermoor.
We met Guiseley three times last season, twice in the league, and once in the FA Trophy. Though we fought out a 0-0 draw in our last meeting (at Bower Fold), the two games in Guiseley went the home side's way, with Guiseley knocking us out of the FA Trophy with a last gasp winner, and beating nine man Celtic 3-1 in the previous league encounter there. Our last win over Guiseley was at Bower Fold, a game we won 2-1 back in March 2000. Our three meetings prior to that all ended in draws. This gives Guiseley an historic advantage on Saturday, but the Automated Prediction Algorithm is suggesting a tight 2-1 win for Celtic, which would net the club about £4,500 in prize money.
Guiseley have no suspensions ahead of the match, with Joe O'Neill's suspension for his sending off against FC Halifax not kicking in until they play Workington a week on Saturday, although should the game to a replay, he would be ineligible for that game. Danny Boshell pulled his hamstring in Guiseley's most recent match, the 1-0 loss away at Gainsborough, and will require a fitness test. In that match, Guiseley lined up as:
1. Steve Drench
2. Jamie Clarke
3. Dave Merris
4. Ciaran Toner
5. Danny Ellis
6. Simon Baldry
7. Simon Ainge
8. Danny Boshell
9. Lee Ellington
10. Alex Davidson
11. Gavin Rothery
Celtic should be fully fit ahead of the game, and have a new face to bolster the squad with the most welcome return of Steve Brogan. Celtic drew for the first time at home on Saturday, the Gloucester game finishing 2-2. In that match Celtic lined up as:
1. Jan Budtz
2. Andy McWilliams
3. Kristian Platt
4. Rhys Meynell
5. Chris Lynch
6. Jack Rea
7. Callum Warburton
8. Greg Wilkinson
9. Phil Marsh
10. Lloyd Ellams
11. Connor Jennings
Celtic need to be at their best, both teams as a good run in the FA Cup can be very lucrative for teams at our level.