Celtic face the first of three monumental games in order to secure Conference North survival when they travel to the east coast seaside to face Scarborough (kick off 3pm). Two of the remaining games are relegation battles, and the third will have a say in the title race. A single win should be enough to see Celtic into next year?s Blue Square Northern league (new sponsors), whilst a loss would boost Scarborough?s survival hopes. If Celtic fail to pick up any points, we could find ourselves in the relegation zone on goal difference, should Leigh and Redditch beat Nuneaton and Hucknall respectively.
It?s not all doom and gloom, a draw would be enough to keep at least Leigh between us and the drop zone and keep Scarborough in it, but we would probably need to win the last game of the season at Gainsborough to ensure survival. A win would be the best cure to a jittery end to the season. The Celtic players will need to battle like everything rides on this game ? because in a lot of ways, it does.
Our last meeting with Scarborough was at the other end of this season, and we drew with them, 2-2. A good result, for despite Scarborough?s precarious position, they are a solid mid-table side in their current plight due to a ten point deduction before the season began. Without that deduction, they would be thirteenth, and possibly higher due to the player embargo placed on them. Previous meetings have seen Celtic win none in recent history. Our last visit to Scarborough saw a 1-1 draw, with Scarborough winning two of their three last visits to Bower Fold. The automated prediction algorithm has gone for another draw between the two sides, predicting 2-2.
Scarborough lost their last home game when Nuneaton put three past them with one in reply, though the Seagulls won their previous two games at the McCain stadium, beating Worksop 2-1 and impressively denting Droylsden?s title hopes with a 1-0 win over the Bloods. In their last five games, Scarborough have won two, lost two and drawn one. They have kept six clean sheets at home, the last being the victory over Droylsden, and kept ten overall. They have scored in their last fourteen games, last failing to score when Alfreton Town played at Scarborough. They have failed to score in just six home games all season.
Their top scorer is Chris Thompson, whose eleven goals put him joint seventeenth in the top twenty goal scorers. Tony Hackworth is not far behind on eight goals for the season. Hackworth scored in their 2-1 away victory over Moor Green, with Ryan Blott grabbing the winner to take his tally this season to six goals. Scarborough score and concede roughly equally between the two halves, with the ten minutes before half time seeing their most dangerous period with eleven of their forty-eight goals scored. The hour mark is their weakest point with eight of their conceded forty-three goals. Scarborough belie their lowly position by having the fourth best defence in the league, behind Harrogate, Workington and Nuneaton. They concede just a goal per game at home (1.1 overall), whilst scoring 1.1 goals per game at home (1.2 overall).
They have taken six points off Droylsden and Moor Green this season, with only Blyth Spartans taking all six points off them. They may add to their six point haul in their last game of the season when they play Hucknall Town, a team that they have already beaten this season.
They have no injury or suspension worries ahead of the game, which is fortunate, as they have a wafer thin squad, naming just two subs in their last match. In that match the 2-1 win over Moor Green, they lined up as:
1. Mark Wilberforce
2. Ashley Lyth
3. Carl Cook
4. Lee Cartwright
5. Mark Hotte
6. Denny Ingram
7. Ged Dalton
8. Jamie Vermiglio
9. Tony Hackworth
10. Chris Thompson
11. Darren Thornton
Celtic will be without Mark Hume, who is starting his three match ban for the sending off at Hucknall. On top of this, we have the long term absentees of Mark Hume, Steve Smith, Barrie Keeling and Dominic Krief. In our last match, the 2-1 defeat at home to Workington, Celtic lined up as:
1. Simon Bishop
2. Grant Black
3. Scott Maxfield
4. Tom Cowan
5. Chris Lever
6. Ashley Winn
7. Steve Brodie
8. Paul Sykes
9. Lee Ellington
10. Matty Barlow
11. Neil Prince
Now is the time for the Celtic players to earn the respect of the fans and show more of the play that they are capable of, glimpses of which have been shown this season. It needs to be drummed into them that we are rapidly running out of options. Another loss would be disastrous, and may leave too much to do with too few games to do it in. Three points are an absolute must on Saturday. It is likely that the team that loses may well be the team that goes down. Celtic cannot hope that Scarborough will be relegated for off the field problems, and ensure that Scarborough are relegated for a lack of points instead.