Match Preview :- Solihull Moors - Saturday September 7th, 2013 (15:00:00)

Celtic are at home for Non-League day on Saturday when we face Solihull Moors. (kick off 3pm). Solihull are currently eighth in the league on nine points, five places and two points ahead of Celtic's thirteenth position. There is half priced admission for this game for season ticket holders from any other club, to celebrate Non-League Day. There will be a match centre for this game.

Solihull finished last season strongly, and have started in the same vein. They have the second best defence in the league, keeping three clean sheets and conceding three goals, with two against Oxford being a defensive blip. The only team with a better defensive record is Celtic's next away trip, Brackley, who have conceded just once. Solihull have only won twice, the same number of games that Celtic have one. So whilst they've not lost, they have drawn three games. Oxford, Histon and Telford all holding them to a draw.

Previous meetings with Solihull have recently gone Solihull's way. They won home and away against us last season, beating us most recently in March at Bower Fold with a 3-0 win, after beating us earlier in the season 1-0 at Damson Park. Our last victory over them was the season before when we won 2-0 – again in March, after they'd held us to a 1-1 draw at their place. Over the last decade, they have won at Bower Fold just twice, their other victory back in January 2007, a game they won 2-3. Over the same period, we've won five and drawn twice.

Solihull appear to have a full squad to choose from, with Michael Nottingham;s suspension for his sending off against Telford not kicking in until after the 7th. In their last match the 1-0 home win over Vauxhall Motors, Solihull lined up as:
1. Jasbir Singh
2. Michael Nottingham
3. Jordan Gough
4. Jay Denny
5. Rob Elvins
6. Stuart Pierpoint
7. Peter Till
8. Aron Wint
9. Omar Bogle
10. Ryan Beswick
11. Darryl Knights

Celtic too should have a full squad to choose from, with Oscar Durnin showing the gaffer what he could do in the reserves, with a hattrick, and Adam Parkhouse also getting some much needed match fitness in that same game. In Celtic's first team's last match, the frustrating 1-0 loss away at Workington, Celtic lined up as:
1. Matty Urwin
2. Kelvin Bleau
3. Andy McWilliams
4. Kristian Platt
5. Mark Lees
6. Prince Haywood
7. Tom Buckley
8. Lewis Hatch
9. Joel Bembo-Leta
10. Sean McConville
11. Conal Platt

A win for Celtic would see them swap places with Saturday's visitors just outside the play offs, whilst a loss could see us drop to just outside the relegation spots, such are the big swings at this early point in the season. There is a full programme on Saturday, and the other games are:
AFC Telford (11pts 4th) v Harrogate Town (10pts 5th)
Barrow (4pts 17th) v Gloucester City (7pts 12th)
Guiseley (8pts 10th) v Brackley Town (11pts 3rd)
Histon (8pts 9th) v Workington (4pts 16th)
Leamington FC (4pts 15th) v Altrincham (13pts 2nd)
North Ferriby United (10pts 6th) v Hednesford Town (13pts 1st)
Oxford City (2pts 20th) v Colwyn Bay (5pts 14th)
Stockport County (1pts 21st) v Gainsborough Trinity (0pts 22nd)
Vauxhall Motors (7pts 11th) v Boston United (10pts 7th)
Worcester City (2pts 19th) v Bradford Park Avenue (3pts 18th)

There are some interesting games this Saturday, with the bottom two (Stockport and Gainsborough) both hoping that they can get their first victory of the campaign.

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