On Saturday, Celtic face Ashton United in a huge game for Celtic. Ashton are currently fifteenth on forty-four points three places and five points ahead of Celtic with a game in hand. Kick off is 3pm, tickets are available on the gate or online.

A good start to the season by Ashton saw them win five of their opening ten, drawing two and rising to a season high for them of sixth. A poor spell from November until March saw them win five and draw three but over sixteen games, sending them down the table to hover midtable. Away from home, Ashton have won five, drawn six, and lose seven. In their last five away games, they have won one, beating Rylands 3-0, drawn two and lost two, losing 4-0 at FC United. Their last away game saw them draw 1-1 at Matlock, but they have won their last two games, beating Belper 3-1 and Atherton 3-0 at home.

The 4-0 loss at FC United was the last time Ashton failed to score on the road, making four times in total away from home and eight overall. They have kept four of their seven clean sheets on the road, the last time at Rylands in January. Ashton have never had a goalless draw this season. Callum Saunders and Adam Kielen are tied for the top league scorer on six each, with Jason Gilchrist right behind on five. Ashton score and average of 1.3 goals per away game, and 1.4 overall, whilst conceding 1.4 goals per game (home and away).

Ashton have won both our previous encounters at Hurst Cross, both games finishing 2-1, including the match earlier in the season. In both games, Celtic took the lead, but strong second half performances from Ashton handed them the points. The game earlier in the season was not without controversy, with the penalty that never was and the penalty that was never given. Ashton have not won at Bower Fold in the league in the last thirty years, though there have been three draws here. Celtic won the last encounter at Bower Fold, winning 1-0 thanks to a last gasp Scott Bakkor penalty. Celtic have won five and drawn three. Ashton have won at Bower Fold, in 2003 when they beat us 4-3 in the President’s Cup, after Ross Clegg’s own goal in stoppage time put the game into extra time and Jamie Miller won it for the Robins.

In Ashton’s last match, the 3-1 home win over Atherton, Ashton lined up as:
1. Tom Scott
2. George Milner
3. Sean Newton
4. Cole Lonsdale
5. Samuel Baird
6. Adam Porter
7. Harry Bunn
8. Dale Whitham
9. Jason Gilchrist
10. Nathan Lowe
11. Lewis Thompson

In Celtic’s last league match, the 2-1 home win over Belper, Celtic lined up as:
1. Joseph O’Shaughnessy
2. Tom Miller
3. Luke Barlow
4. Kyle Harrison
5. Danny Burns
6. Domaine Rouse
7. Theo Bailey-Jones
8. Godwin Abadaki
9. Raul Correia
10. Ethan Padden
11. Harry Benns

Celtic still have a few injury concerns, without Nathan Caine and Greg Hall, plus Ciaran Summers missed the last match. Theo Bailey-Jones will be missing after his red card against Morpeth.

A win for Celtic could see us overtake either Morpeth (away at Stafford) and Atherton (at home to Gainsborough) and go sixteenth, getting to within two points of Ashton and edge towards mathematical safety. A loss could see Nantwich (at home to Bamber Bridge) overtake us and put us in the bottom four. It’s another important game. Three of the four below us look to be doing their utmost to stay in this league, and so should we.