Match Preview :- Nantwich Town - Tuesday March 20th, 2018 (19:45:00)

On Tuesday, Celtic make the hop over to the other side of Cheshire to face Nantwich (kick off 7:45pm). Nantwich are currently thirteenth in the league on forty-five points, eight places and seven points above Celtic having played two games more. There will be no Match Centre but there will be a Twitter feed.

Nantwich lost their opening game of the season, to Celtic, but then lost only once in the next eight games, although they only won three over that period, drawing the other four. A run of five straight defeats saw them drop to bottom in the league, they have been inconsistent since. They have not won in their last three with two home losses and an away draw at Grantham. The have had two wins in their last seven, and in their last six home matches have won two and lost four, their wins coming over Lancaster at the end of January and Grantham at the end of February. In all seventeen home games this season, they have won six, drawn four and lost seven.

Sean Cooke is leading the scoring chart for Nantwich, on eleven, with Harry Clayton just behind on nine. In total they have scored forty-seven goals this season with twenty-five at home at a rate of 1.4 goals per game overall and 1.5 at home. They have conceded fifty-two goals with twenty-eight coming at home, at a rate of 1.5 goals per game overall and 1.6 at home. Their ten clean sheets have come equally home and away, whilst they have only failed to score twice at home from seven times overall.

We beat Nantwich 1-0 on the opening day of the season, with Alex Honeyball the scorer. Our last visit to Nantwich was a friendly, that we won 2-1, whilst our last competitive visit was in the Cheshire Senior Cup which we lost 1-0 back in 2010. Our last win over the Dabbers on their own ground was a 3-0 win in the FA Trophy, which we won 3-0 in 2009 with goals from Matty Barlow, Joe O'Neill and Keith Briggs.

Nantwich's last match was the 3-1 home defeat by Halesowen. In that match, Nantwich lined up as:
1. Myles Boney
2. Jamie Morgan
3. Courtney Wildin
4. Joel Stair
5. Troy Bourne
6. Tony Mullarkey
7. Joe Mwasile
8. Matt Bell
9. Harry Clayton
10. Sean Cooke
11. Jordan Cole

Celtic's last match was the 2-1 win away over table topping Altrincham. In that match, we lined up as:
1. Aidan Winterbottom
2. Harrison Holgate
3. Alex Honeyball
4. Danny Morton
5. Luke Ashworth
6. Ross Killock
7. Greg Wilkinson
8. Olive Roberts
9. Liam Dickinson
10. Matty Wolfenden
11. Connor Hughes

Jack Walton was recalled by Barnsley, who had a keeper crisis, but will be available again on Tuesday, although Aidan Winterbottom stepped up to the plate and performed well.

Celtic's recent form has been a miraculous turn around form early season, and now sit seventh in the form table, with two losses in our last ten, taking fifty-nine percent of the available points, just above Nantwich in eighth who have taken fifty-four percent of the available points. Three away wins in our last four away matches have also seen us rise up the away form table. Winning our two games in hand and beating Nantwich on Tuesday would put us above the Dabbers, so although there is currently a large gap, it is a false gap. If we win, we would rise a place, whilst a loss or draw would see us stay where we are. More importantly, if we win and results go our way, Celtic would be within striking distance of sixteenth, and with our games in hand, within striking distance of the top ten, a position unthinkable at the end of 2017.

Other games this week:
Altrincham (70pts 1st) v Mickleover Sports (44pts 15th)
Buxton (44pts 16th) v Ashton United (61pts 3rd)
Warrington Town (67pts 2nd) v Hednesford Town (53pts 9th)
Witton Albion (54pts 7th) v Stourbridge (44pts 14th)
Workington (49pts 10th) v Shaw Lane (57pts 5th)

Table
P Pts
12 Mickleover FC 36 45
13 Lancaster City 36 45
14 Nantwich Town 35 45
15 Stourbridge 34 44
16 Buxton 33 44
Results
Tue 20 Mar 2018Stalybridge Celtic2-3
Sat 17 Mar 2018Halesowen Town1-3
Tue 13 Mar 2018Grantham Town0-0
Tue 06 Mar 2018Matlock Town0-2
Sat 24 Feb 2018Grantham Town3-1
Goal Scorers
Cooke, Sean12
Clayton, Harry9
Bell, Matthew7
Forbes, David4
Stair, Joel3
Previous Meetings
Saturday November 11, 2023
3
2
Saturday January 21, 2023
0
4
Saturday September 17, 2022
1
2
Tuesday February 15, 2022
1
5
Saturday August 14, 2021
3
2
Records
Home win Lancaster City3-0Sat 20th Jan
Away win Coalville Town0-3Sat 3rd Feb
Home defeat Hednesford Town1-5Sat 6th Jan
Away defeat Altrincham5-1Tue 3rd Oct
Home score Hednesford Town1-5Sat 6th Jan
Away score Altrincham5-1Tue 3rd Oct
Games Since... Overall Home Away
Last Scored 112
Last Conceded 112
Last Won 433
Last Drew 112
Directions
Distance: 53
Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

From the M67 join the M60 towards Stockport.
After 7 miles, leave the M60 at Junction 4 (Chester, M6) to join the M56 Stay on the M56 for 7 miles, coming off at junction 7 (Northwich, M6) to join the A556.
The roundabout can be avoided by using the slip road.
Stay on the A556 for 5 miles to the roundabout with the M6.
Join the M6 southbound (Birmingham) avoiding the roundabout by using the slip road.
Stay on the M6 for 18 miles to Junction 16 (A500, Crewe and Nantwich).
At the roundabout at the end of the slip road, turn right (3 of 4) onto the A500.
Stay on the A500 for one mile to a roundabout with the A51, cross the roundabout (2 of 4) onto the A51 into Nantwich.
After a mile and two roundabouts (first exit off each), cross the roundabout by the station onto the A530 (Water Lode).
Follow Water Lode round for half a mile, and the club is on the right hand side.