On Saturday, Celtic travel across Manchester to face FC United of Manchester. FC United are currently tenth in the league on forty-three points, seven places and nine points ahead of Celtic. Kick-off is 3pm.

FC have drawn a lot of their home games this season, with seven draws nobody has more draws at home, though Gainsborough and Lancaster have the same number, with FC United having two more home wins than either of these teams. FC United have lost three and won six at home. Though they have won two from their last eight, losing three and drawing three, their home record over their last eight games is better, with three wins, four draws and a loss. Their last home loss was to Gainsborough Trinity back in mid-November when they lost 3-1. Since then, they have beaten Belper, Ashton and Guiseley, their last home game. The previous three home matches all ended in draws to Warrington, Hyde, and Whitby, the Hyde match a 4-4 draw.

FC United have the third best attack in the league, scoring forty-eight goals this season at a rate of 1.6 goals per game. Scoring twenty-nine of these at home at a rate of 1.8 goals per game, has given them the best home attack of any team in the league. They have failed to score in one home match (six overall) and Regan Linney’s twenty-goal haul already this season puts him top of the league’s goal scorers, and his nine goals at home is the highest in the league. Defensively, they are less impressive, with twenty-two of their thirty-four goals coming at home at a rate of 1.1 goal per game (1.4 at home), only the bottom three have conceded more at home. They kept four of their nine clean sheets at home, three of which came in their last four home games.

We’ve met FC United in the league eight times. Over that period, Celtic have won three and FC United have won four, and there has been one draw. The last meeting earlier in the season saw FC United beat Celtic 2-1 at Bower Fold, after Greg Hall’s concussion saw Dahrius Waldron play in goal. Our last visit to Marston Road last season again saw FC United win 2-1, despite a late comeback, only one goal in stoppage time from Raul Correia left us losing out again. Our last win was the same season, at Bower Fold, when we won 5-2, during the Marcus Dackers era, him getting a brace and Jay Fitzmartin, Justin Johnson and Sam Wedgebury all adding to the tally. Our last and only league win at FC United was in 2016, we won 1-0 with both teams in the Conference North, Danny Wisdom’s free kick the difference between the two teams.

In FC United’s last league match, the 2-0 away loss to Lancaster, FC United lined up as:
1. Dan Lavercombe
2. Alex Wollerton
3. Guy Hall
4. Luke Griffiths
5. Andy Halls
6. Curtis Jones
7. Michael Donohue
8. Jan Palinkas
9. Matt Van Wyk
10. Paul Ennis
11. Dontai Gabidon

In Celtic’s last league match, the 1-0 home loss to Whitby, Celtic lined up as:
1. Greg Hall
1. Tom Miller
2. Ben Richardson
3. Kyle Harrison
4. Dahrius Waldron
5. Domaine Rouse
6. DJ Pedro
7. Ethan Padden
8. Raul Correia
9. Chris Dagnall
10. Harry Benns

Raheem Hanley, Theo Bailey-Jones, Nathan Caine and Ciaran Summers all missed the last match through injury.

A win for Celtic could put us thirteenth, with Ashton (not playing), Stafford at home to Lancaster (we’d overtake one or the other), Whitby (at home to Rylands), and Morpeth (away at Marine) all in reach. With Atherton at home to Marske, and Nantwich sitting this weekend out, a loss could see us drop a place to eighteenth.