On Saturday, Celtic travel to play-off contenders, Bamber Bridge. Bamber Bridge are currently third and have been in the top three for most of the season. They are on forty-eight points, twelve places and seventeen points above Celtic having played a game more. Kick-off is 3pm.

Bamber Bridge have slumped down the form table in having won two of their last seven matches. Their last game saw them lose 2-1 away at Matlock. Their last home match was a 0-0 draw with FC United. Bamber Bridge’s last win was away at Radcliffe, whilst their last home win was at the end of last year when they beat Lancaster 2-1. In their last six home matches, they have won three, drawn one and lost two.

Bamber Bridge have the third best attack in the league, with forty-eight goals, half of which were scored at home, at a rate of 1.8 goals per game. They have failed to score in six matches, three of which were at home, while they have kept four of their six clean sheets at home, the last being their last home match. Only FC United in the top half of the table have conceded more goals this season. Despite having left back in October, Ewan Bange is still their top scorer with ten goals, though Isaac Sinclair and Robert Apter are closing in on the top spot, both having scored nine.

Our last win at Bamber Bridge was our last visit, in 2019, when we won 3-2 thanks to a brace by Darius Osei and a winner from Craig Hobson; while our best win was the year before, in January 2000, when we won 4-1 with an Andy Mason hat-trick. In our last five visits, we have won three and lost two. Bamber Bridge’s last win over us at their place was in 2018, when they beat us 3-0.

Bamber Bridge’s last match was 2-1 away defeat by Matlock, in which Bamber Bridge lined up as:
1. Mateusz Hewelt
2. Matthew Thomson
3. Luke Higham
4. Callum Spooner
5. Nathan Pond
6. Macauley Wilson
7. Isaac Sinclair
8. Dan Martin
9. Jacob Holland-Wilkinson
10. Mark Yeates
11. Paul Dawson

In Celtic’s last match, the 1-1 away draw to Morpeth, Celtic lined up as:
1. Liam Hughes
2. Matthew Liptrott
3. Ashley Smith-Brown
4. Sam Wedgbury
5. Connor O’Grady
6. Kennan Quansah
7. Callum Harris
8. Charley Doyle
9. Raul Correia
10. Ntumba Massanka
11. Justin Johnson

Scott Bakkor joined Stephen Brogan on the physio couch ahead of the match. A win for Celtic wouldn’t lift us any places, but would help increase the gap to the bottom three. A loss could see us drop a place, though with Gainsborough within reach and at home to Stafford.