Tuesday sees Celtic back in action at home, this time in the Cheshire Senior Cup Quarter Finals, with the visitors Witton Albion (kick off 7:45pm). Witton need no introduction, as they are the team that beat us in the final last season. Witton are currently sixth in the Unibond Premier League, outside the play off places on goal difference only, and with a game in hand that could take them to third.
They have had a storming start to the season, and got to the quarter finals off the back of a 5-1 win over Tranmere Rovers. There had been a chance that the game would not go ahead, with them playing Alsager Town in the FA Trophy, but having dispatched Alsager 2-0 on Saturday, the game will be going ahead. Witton are doing well in the cups, having beaten Fleetwood Town in the previous round of the Trophy, and seeing off Vauxhall Motors in the second qualifier of the FA Cup. They have gone out of the FA cup now, with Farsley Celtic taking them to a replay at the Throstle?s Nest, which Farsley won 1-0. It took extra time in that game for Farsley to find a winner against a solid Witton defence.
In the league, Witton are unbeaten away from home since Lincoln beat them in September. Since then they have had a draw (against Marine) and wins at Mossley and Leek. Witton have played a lot of home games in recent weeks, and are doing very well out of it, losing only one home game, to Kendal Town at the start of September. On the road, they have lost three times (including the FA Cup loss to Farsley), the other loss coming away at Telford. They have failed to score in just three matches, and have kept four clean sheets.
Their goals this season have been coming courtesy of Adam Warlow, a Crewe Alexandra striker on loan at the club, who has scored eleven in all competitions. With forty-seven goals across all competitions, they are certainly not lacking in the forwards department. That?s an average of 2.1 goals per game. With forty-five goals against (an average of two goals per game), it is probably their defence that is letting them down in terms of looking for promotion to the Conference North.
The 5-1 drubbing of Tranmere wasn?t their only goal-fest, as they also saw off Ashton United by an identical score-line. Away from home they are less prolific, though they did storm to a 4-0 win away at North Ferriby on the opening day of the season.
Albion?s last visit to the Fold was in December 2000, when Celtic were 2-0 winners in a Trophy match. Their previous competitive visit was back in 1994 when both teams were in the Conference, and again, Celtic were the winners, this time with a 2-1 score-line. The season before sees Witton?s only win at Bower Fold in recent years, when they beat us 2-1.
Witton are suffering a little from injuries, in their last match, the 2-0 Trophy win over Alsager Town, they were without top scorer Adam Warlow through illness, ex-Celtic full back Darren Hockenhull, Shaun Whalley, Peers, Mark Jones and Adam Foy all out through injuries and Mark Peers and Adam Foy both named as substitutes, but classed as walking wounded an never likely to make an appearance. In that match they lined up as:
1. Jon Kennedy
2. Michael Bowler
3. Liam Brownhill
4. Brian Pritchard
5. Tony Barras
6. Rob Lloyd
7. Alex Brown
8. Chris Gaghan
9. Alistair Brown
10. Mike Moseley
11. Griff Jones
Celtic are still without Mark Haran, and Paul Pettinger didn?t make an appearance against Vauxhall in Celtic?s last match, the 2-2 draw in Ellesmere Port. In that match we lined up as:
1. Nick Buxton
2. Grant Black
3. Scott Maxfield
4. Barrie Keeling
5. Darren Hollingsworth
6. Steve Brodie
7. Ashley Winn
8. Paul Sykes
9. Lee Ellington
10. Mark Hume
11. Steve Smith
Anton Lally came on as a sub at half time in that match, making a good solid debut. He names as two of his former clubs Vauxhall Motors and Witton Albion! Celtic need to build on the back of a good performance at Vauxhall, and Tuesday will be the right time to do it. That said, Witton are a good side only just behind Marine in the table, and Marine have put us out of the FA Cup this season, so Celtic should not be counting on a banker, and go out to win this one with belief and passion.