Match Preview :- Hyde United - Friday December 26th, 2014 (15:00:00)

On Friday, Boxing Day, Celtic make the short hop across the hill to face Hyde United. Hyde have the unlikely honour of being the only team in the Conference North below Celtic. They are in twenty-second place, on ten points, one place and six points below Celtic, though they have played a game more. There will be a match centre for this game.

Since Hyde came down out of the Conference Premier at the end of last season, wins have been hard to come by, even harder than for Celtic. They have managed two wins at home, beating Lowestoft Town in September, and then, most recently, beating North Ferriby 1-0. This means that they won their last home game. Just in time for Celtic's visit. Celtic have only won once on the road this season, when we beat Gloucester in our last but one away match, though we followed it up with a 3-0 defeat at Fylde.

Hyde's top scorer this season is Tom Bentham who has six. Hot on his heels are Josh Brizell and Conor Hughes with five each. These three players have scored two thirds of Hyde's goals, and mostly in the second half. Hyde have kept one clean sheet, their last home match, and failed to score in eight matches, including their last match, the 2-0 away loss to Oxford. Over the last five home games for Hyde, and the last five away games for Celtic, Hyde have got a third of the points available, and Celtic have got a quarter, so the bookies money would be on a home win.

Ray Stanley Trophy notwithstanding (which Hyde have won the last four of, anyway), it was three meetings ago when Hyde last beat Celtic at Ewen Fields, in March 2010. In the subsequent two visits, Celtic won 2-0 then drew 1-1. Indeed, in our last five visits, we have won three of them, and drawn once. Hyde visiting Bower Fold is another matter, and for a later Match Preview…

Hyde are suspension and injury free, and in Hyde's last match, the 2-0 away defeat at Oxford, Hyde lined up as:
1. D'Arcy O'Connor
2. Alex McQuade
3. Connor Hunt
4. Kelvin Lomax
5. Connor Hughes
6. Luke Giverin
7. Matt Flynn
8. Ted Cribley
9. Adam Blakeman
10. Tom Bentham
11. Louis Almond

Celtic will be without main striker, Liam Dickinson who starts a four match ban for his red card following the Chorley match. In our last match, the 1-0 home defeat to Worcester City, Celtic lined up as:
1. King, Lewis
2. Bleau, Kelvin
3. Regan, Matt
4. Jordan, Todd
5. Hughes, Matty
6. Galinski, Stefan
7. Cadman, James
8. Kerr, Scott
9. McKenna, Ben
10. Ennis, Paul
11. Dickinson, Liam

Celtic are now four points from safety, two points behind Gloucester. Hyde are six points behind us, with six points to play for coming up over the next ten days. Celtic are running out of time to ensure that the safety point doesn't become a reach too far, whilst Hyde will be looking to put Celtic bottom over the festive fixtures. That could be disastrous for Celtic's survival hopes and would require a recovery not seen since the John Reed era.

Other games on Boxing Day:
AFC Fylde (pts 2nd) v Barrow (45pts 1st)
Boston United (31pts 9th) v Lowestoft Town (24pts 15th)
Chorley (35pts 5th) v Bradford Park Avenue (20pts 19th)
Gainsborough Trinity (22pts 17th) v North Ferriby United (29pts 12th)
Gloucester City (16pts 20th) v Brackley Town (23pts 16th)
Harrogate Town (25pts 14th) v Guiseley (41pts 3rd)
Leamington (20pts 18th) v Oxford City (34pts 6th)
Solihull Moors (37pts 4th) v Tamworth (30pts 11th)
Stockport County (32pts 8th) v Colwyn Bay (25pts 13th)
Worcester City (33pts 7th) v Hednesford Town (30pts 10th)

Directions
Distance: 5
Time: 10 minutes

Head down Mottram Road away from Bower Fold to the traffic lights at the t-junction with Acres Lane.
Turn left onto Acres Lane and follow it to the lights at the top of the hill near Morrisons.
Turn left onto Birch Lane, heading towards Hyde.
At the traffic lights with the Duke of Sussex pub on the left, go straight through.
At the next set of lights on Mottram Road, turn right.
Turn left onto Lumn Road at the next set of lights before reaching Morrisons, signposted for the leisure pool.
After approx.
200 yards you will come to a give-way sign, turn left onto Walker Lane, after approx.
50 yards you will see Hyde Leisure Pool on your left.
The entrance to Ewen Field is to the right hand side of the pool.