Next up at Bower Fold on Saturday are Gainsborough Trinity with a 3pm kick off. Gainsborough are currently two places higher than Celtic, three points ahead in twelfth, having played a game more.
After starting the season well with wins against Hinckley United and Workington at home and Lancaster City away, and a draw away at Scarborough without conceding a goal in those opening four games. This propelled them up to second in the table. Since then, they have played seven games, and won only one, at home to Barrow. Losses to Leigh RMI, Hyde United and (lastly) Moor Green away has seen them fall down the table to their current position.
Past meetings between the two sides has seen Celtic the predominant team of the pair, with Gainsborough not getting a win at Bower Fold in the past twelve visits (at least). They have drawn three matches though, the last draw being the 2-2 result in January 2005. Their last visit saw Celtic win 1-0.
Both teams progressed in the FA cup, though Celtic required a replay in Yorkshire to get the result. Gainsborough put our Tameside neighbours out of the cup, beating Ashton United 2-0 at Hurst Cross. Jamie Smith and Ryan Mallon scored in that game. Mallon is currently Trinity?s top scorer, with four league goals. Wes Parker is his closest rival on two. In the league, Gainsborough score an average of 0.8 goals per game away from home (0.9 overall), whilst conceding 1.7 goals per game (1.3 overall). Since the early season four game clean sheet run, Trinity have kept only one other clean sheet in the league, against Barrow at home. In the past four away games, they have conceded ten goals, while scoring four, including a 3-3 draw at Hucknall Town. They have failed to score in three games (all away).
Away from home they have scored a total of five goals this season, mostly in the second half. They haven?t conceded much, with equal goals against in both halves of the match, though there are peaks around the quarter hour mark and just before full time.
Ryan Mallon limped off against Ashton with an ankle injury, and will no doubt be a doubt for Gainsborough on Saturday. In that match, Gainsborough lined up as:
1. Adam Sollitt
2. Ben Purkiss
3. Danny Wood
4. Wes Parker
5. Nick Ellis
6. Danny Anson
7. Charlie Trout
8. Sam Lancaster
9. Jamie Smith
10. Ryan Mallon
11. Eric Graves
Celtic will be without Kevin Parr, who starts his match ban for the two yellow cards at Barrow.
In our 1-0 win at Frickley (only the second time we have won there in living memory), Celtic welcomed back Lee Morris from his loan period (albeit as a sub), and started as:
1. Paul Pettinger
2. Ben Smith
3. Scott Maxfield
4. Mark Hume
5. Barrie Keeling
6. Kevin Parr
7. Steve Brodie
8. Paul Sykes
9. Lee Ellington
10. Andy Parton
11. Neil Prince
The automated prediction algorithm has Celtic winning 3-2. Whilst the primary goal is a win in the league to help get us back up the table after a series of poor away results, I?m hoping that we can win more comfortably.