On Saturday Celtic have a tough test when table topping Barrow roll into the Fold. Barrow are currently first in the table on sixty-six points, twenty places and thirty-six points ahead of Celtic, though they have played a game more. There will be a match centre for this game.
Barrow rose through the table early on to take top spot, and but for a period December when they won just one game from five, they have mainly retained the top spot. They are three points ahead of second place Fylde and will be looking to cement their top spot with victory at Bower Fold on Saturday. Celtic need to derail that plan, as we are now mired in the bottom three, four points from safety. Celtic do have two games in hand on Brackley who are six points ahead, two on Lowestoft who are seven ahead, and two on Colwyn Bay who are level on points but behind on goal difference.
Barrow's top scorer this season is Andy Cook, who has nineteen goals. This puts him fourth in the league's overall goal scorer chart, five goals behind Solihull's Omar Bogle. Cook's closest rival for the Barrow Golden Boot is Jason Walker, who has fourteen goals. Barrow are scoring an average of two goals a game overall (1.8 away from home) and conceding 1.1 goals per game overall (1.5 away from home), this has given them the league's top attack, and the league's fifth best defence. They have scored in all except one game, a two nil-away defeat at Gloucester during their wobbly spell. In their last four matches, they have won two, drawn one and lost one, losing 3-1 at home to Solihull Moors. Barrow are mathematically safe from relegation.
Past history would also suggest a Barrow win, with their last three visits seeing them take two wins and a draw. Our last win over Barrow at Bower Fold was in April 2006 when we won 2-1, with goals from Lee Ellington and Jody Banim. The last time the two sides met was earlier in the season when Barrow won 1-0 thanks to an early Jason Walker goal. Celtic played well after the goal, and possibly deserved something out of the game. Celtic will have to be above and beyond recent performances if we are to get anything from this game. However, Gloucester won, Hyde drew 4-4 and Bradford beat them 2-1, so Barrow can be hauled back by lower league teams. Like us.
Barrow have no suspensions ahead of the match and in their last game, a 1-0 away win over Stockport County, they lined up as:
1. Aaron Taylor
2. Andy Burns
3. Danny Livesey
4. Simon Grand
5. Niall Cowperthwaite
6. Dan Pilkington
7. Karl Ledsham
8. Paddy Lacey
9. Andy Haworth
10. Jason Walker
11. Andy Cook.
Celtic too have no suspensions, and in our last match, the 1-1 draw away at Lowestoft, Celtic lined up as:
1. Lewis King
2. Harley Wigley
3. Nathan Heath
4. Matty Hughes
5. Stefan Galinski
6. Michael Potts
7. Ben McKenna
8. Scott Kerr
9. Jamie Allen
10. Paul Ennis
11. Matt Regan
Celtic are desperate for a win to haul back some of the distance the safety positions are now creating. Even with a win, Celtic would not move up any places, though we would bring the teams in the five places above us within striking distance, if results go our way. A loss could see us join Hyde in the bottom two, should Colwyn get anything away at Oxford, which is entirely possible.
Other matches on Saturday are:
Brackley Town (33pts 16th) v Chorley (50pts 8th)
Harrogate Town (43pts 13th) v Gloucester City (35pts 18th)
Hednesford Town (59pts 3rd) v Boston United (51pts 6th)
Hyde (17pts 22nd) v Guiseley (55pts 5th)
Leamington FC (37pts 14th) v AFC Fylde (63pts 2nd)
North Ferriby United (43pts 12th) v Lowestoft Town (37pts 15th)
Oxford City (51pts 7th) v Colwyn Bay (30pts 21st)
Stockport County (49pts 9th) v Solihull Moors (46pts 10th)
Tamworth (57pts 4th) v Bradford Park Avenue (34pts 19th)
Worcester City (46pts 11th) v Gainsborough Trinity (35pts 17th)