After Christmas there comes the inevitable Boxing Day fixture, and once again we will be facing Altrincham. Our first leg is away on Boxing Day (kick off 3pm). Altrincham are currently just outside the play-off spots in sixth, eight points and seven places above Celtic, with two games in hand on us, and one on the play-off spots. There will be a live match centre for this game.

Altrincham will be looking for a win, to ensure that winning their game in hand will get them back in the top five. Earlier in the season they topped the table after an unbeaten start of seven games, but with just two wins in the last seven, and none in the last three, they have fallen back out of the top five. Only one team has beaten Altrincham at home this season, Hednesford, with a 3-1 win at Moss Lane. Both Histon and Oxford have kept Altrincham to a draw, but they have had six wins out of nine at home this season, and have a strong record there.

Celtic have visited Moss Lane a lot over the years, and in the last fifteen visits have only managed one win, a 2-0 win in the Cheshire Senior cup back in September 2003. Out of the fifteen visits, Altrincham have won eight and we have drawn six times. Our most recent visit was last season when Altrincham won 2-1, after playing against 10 men for ninety minutes, thanks to Kristian Platt's early sending off. The last time we beat Altrincham was at home, in October 2011, when we won 5-1.

Altrincham have only failed to score once this season, when they lost 2-0 away at Gloucester ending their league record scoring streak. They have kept five clean sheets, four of which were at home. With the close season signing of James Walshaw, it is unsurprising to see him topping the charts, with twelve goals, pushing Damian Reeves into second spot with a mere eight goals this season. Most of Altrincham's thirty-five goals this season have come in the second half, whereas most of their conceding is done in the first half, so getting off to a good start is the order of the day against them.

We will be facing former Celt wunderkind Greg Wilkinson, most likely as Altrincham appear to be injury free ahead of the game, and in their last match, the 2-2 away draw with Guiseley, Altrincham lined up as:
1. Stuart Coburn
2. Shaun Densmore
3. Adam Griffin
4. Carl Rodgers
5. Gianluca Havern
6. Scott Leather
7. Greg Wilkinson
8. Simon Richman
9. Kyle Perry
10. James Walshaw
11. Nicky Clee

Keith Briggs will hopefully have a full squad to pick from ahead of the game, and in Celtic's last match, the 3-3 home draw with Boston United, Celtic lined up as:
1. Aaron Jameson
2. Kelvin Bleau
3. Andy McWilliams
4. Callum Warburton
5. James Tunnicliffe
6. Kristian Platt
7. Adam Pepper
8. Prince Haywood
9. Phil Marsh
10. Sean McConville
11. Paul Ennis

A win for Celtic could see us into the top ten, whereas a loss could see three teams overtake us and drop us to sixteenth!

There is a full fixture on Boxing Day. Other games on Thursday are:
Boston United (33pts 7th) v Histon (22pts 16th)
Brackley Town (36pts 5th) v Leamington FC (23pts 15th)
Bradford Park Avenue (25pts 12th) v Stockport County (19pts 18th)
Colwyn Bay (27pts 10th) v Vauxhall Motors (26pts 11th)
Gainsborough Trinity (24pts 14th) v North Ferriby United (36pts 4th)
Harrogate Town (32pts 8th) v Guiseley (29pts 9th)
Hednesford Town (39pts 1st) v AFC Telford (37pts 3rd)
Oxford City (19pts 17th) v Gloucester City (16pts 20th)
Solihull Moors (37pts 2nd) v Worcester City (16pts 19th)
Workington (13pts 21st) v Barrow (12pts 22nd)