On Saturday, it’s back to league action and another big game, this time with Chasetown the visitors. Chasetown are currently fifth on sixty-four points, three places and eight points ahead of Celtic. Kick off 3pm.

Chasetown are the third highest scoring team in the league, behind Widnes and Hednesford, though they drop to seventh based on away games only. They are also mid-table when it comes to away defence. At home, Chasetown have won twelve, drawn two and lost three (one of which was to Celtic), which has lifted them into the top five and kept them there for the second half of the season. They’re no slouches away from home, with seven wins, five draws and six losses. Their last loss was away, to Widnes, at the start of March, sandwiched between wins away at Stafford and Atherton. Their worst spell this season was at the start of the year when they went four games without a win, but came back strongly with four clean sheers on the bounce, and now hold the record for the longest spell without conceding.

Overall, Chasetown have conceded forty-seven goals this season, twenty-five away, at a rate of 1.3 goals per game, 1.4 away from home, keeping five of their eleven clean sheets while on the road. Scoring-wise, they have found the net sixty-nine times, with twenty-eight of those away from home, at a rate of 1.9 goals per game and 1.6 away. George Cater and Jack Langston are tied for the golden boot on eleven goals each, Danny Glover four behind on seven. Chasetown have failed to score three times on the road this season, with the last away at Mossley in a goalless draw.

Chasetown have visited Bower Fold twice before, once in 2015 in an FA Cup replay which Celtic won 2-0 with goals at the end of each half from Jack Higgins and Adam Farrell. They visited again last season when they won 1-0, adding to the 1-0 at their place earlier in the season. Our last meeting was in November in Chasetown when Celtic won 4-3, coming back strong after an early penalty and a sending off for Joe Duckworth, to go 2-1 with goals from Jack Irlam and Joe Duckworth. They pulled it back but we made it 4-2 thanks to Kyle Brownhill and Liam Tongue before Chasetown got a consolation at the end to make Celtic sweat.

In Chasetown’s last match, the 3-0 home win over Bootle, Chasetown lined up as:
1. Curtis Pond
2. Sam WIlding
3. Joe Dunne
4. Kieran Fenton
5. Danny O’Callaghan
6. Sam Unitt
7. Tom Thorley
8. Jack Langston
9. Joey Butlin
10. Luke Yates
11. George Cater

In Celtic’s last match the 1-0 away win over Warrington, Celtic lined up as:
1. Charlie Monks
2. Swaby-Neavin, Javid
3. Kyle Brownhill
4. Charlie Doyle
5. Brandon Newell
6. Jack Tinning
7. Jack Irlam
8. Liam Tongue
9. Lewis Rawsthorn
10. Joe Duckworth
11. Benni Smales-Braithwaite

Eight points between Celtic and the play-off spot currently held by Chasetown. A win would reduce that to five, with five games to go. It’s a big ask, but it’s not impossible. Avro (home to Newcastle) and Runcorn (away at Stafford) will be hoping Celtic beat Chasetown to allow them to narrow the gap to four points, while Clitheroe (at home to Vauxhall) and Trafford (away at Hednesford) are within three points of Celtic if we slip up. A win could see us sixth, a loss could see us tenth.