Match Preview :- Bradford Park Avenue - Saturday December 5th, 2015 (15:00:00)

On Saturday, Celtic travel to Bradford Park Avenue for a league match (kick off 3pm). Bradford are currently thirteenth in the league, just four points and two places below Celtic. There will be a match centre for this game.

After a shocking start to the season, with just one win in ten matches, and none in their first seven, taking in four losses, Avenue have turned their season around and have had just one loss in their last ten matches, with four wins. Having briefly touched bottom away at Harrogate Town, they turned their season around and have been climbing ever since. Their last loss was away at Stockport County, when they lost 2-0, whilst their las home loss was way back in mid-August when they lost 2-1 to Fylde. That's their only home defeat this season. Their last home game a couple of weeks ago finished 1-1 against Hednesford, whilst their last home win was at the end of October when they beat Lowestoft 3-0. At home, they have also beaten Brackley and Telford, so their home wins have come over bottom placed teams, against the higher placed teams they've drawn, including a 1-1 with Solihull, and a 4-4 with North Ferriby.

Only six players have found the back of the net for BPA so far this season, with Chib Chilaka the expected current contender for the golden boot with seven goals. Right on his heels, with five is Richard Marshall, whilst thorn in Celtic's side, James Walshaw has four so far this season. On average they score 1.3 goals per game (1.7 at home) and concede 1.3 goals per game (1.2 at home). They have conceded and scored the same number, 22, though they have scored 15 at home and conceded 11. They have kept three clean sheets at home, and never failed to score.

The last meeting between the two teams finished one apiece at Bower Fold with Jack Higgins getting our goal earlier this season, whilst our last visit to Horsfall finished 1-0 to Bradford, as did their other match that season at Bower Fold. You have to go back to 2012 for Celtic's last win at Avenue, when we won 3-1. We've visited six times and won three, and Bradford have won twice (we drew in 2014).

Bradford look to have a full squad to choose from ahead of Saturday's tie. In their last match, the 3-1 away win over Gloucester City, BPA lined up as:
1. Jon Stewart
2. Jake Scott
3. Adam Mather
4. Nathan Turner
5. Ryan Qualter
6. Billy Priestley
7. Craig King
8. Paul Marshall
9. Chib Chilaka
10. Danny Schofield
11. Jason St Juste

Celtic will be without Alex Mudimu who is serving out a suspension, but John Shaw and Ben McKenna should both be available for selection, and Danny Wisdom's not that far away either. In Celtic's last match, the 1-0 away defeat to Sutton Coldfield Town in the FA Trophy, we lined up as:
1. Tony McMillan
2. Peter Wylie
3. Aidan Chippendale
4. Matty Hughes
5. Jack Higgins
6. Adam Chalmers
7. Bohan Dixon
8. Dale Wright
9. Darius Osei
10. Steve Tames
11. Adam Farrell

Celtic have games in hand on the teams above us, and a win over Bradford could see us leap into the top ten. We are nine points behind sixth placed Boston, with four games in hand on them, to put our current position in perspective. Nobody is in a position to overtake us, should we lose, but it would be good to continue to increase the gap between us and the chasing pack, while keeping in touch with those above.

Other games on Saturday:
Brackley Town (17pts 17th) v Gloucester City (17pts 18th)
Chorley (25pts 9th) v North Ferriby United (34pts 3rd)
Curzon Ashton (24pts 10th) v AFC Telford (13pts 22nd)
Gainsborough Trinity (21pts 12th) v Harrogate Town (34pts 5th)
Hednesford Town (19pts 15th) v AFC Fylde (34pts 4th)
Lowestoft Town (17pts 19th) v Alfreton Town (20pts 14th)
Nuneaton Town (40pts 1st) v Corby Town (17pts 20th)
Solihull Moors (37pts 2nd) v Boston United (33pts 6th)
Stockport County (28pts 8th) v FC United of Manchester (15pts 21st)
Tamworth (31pts 7th) v Worcester City (18pts 16th)

Directions
Distance: 52
Time: 1 hour

From the M67 join the M60 towards Oldham.
Stay on the M60 to the junction with the M62 and M66.
At the roundabout, turn right (exit 3 of 4) to join the M62 towards Leeds.
Stay on the M62 for 27 miles to junction 26 (Bradford, M606).
Join the M606.
Stay on the M606 for just over 2 miles to the very end and leave the motorway (follow signs for Halifax).
At the roundabout at the end of the slip road, turn left (exit 2 of 7) to join the A6036 (Rooley Avenue).
After 1/2 a mile, you will reach a roundabout with the A641 - go straight across (exit 3 of 6) signposted Halifax, to stay on the A6036 (now called Halifax Road).
You will pass Ordsal Stadium on your left.
After nearly a mile, you will see a sign for Horsfall Stadium by a left turn at the Kings Head pub.
Turn left here onto Cemetery Road.
The ground is 300 yards on the left.