Match Preview :- Boston United - Saturday April 11th, 2015 (15:00:00)

On Saturday Celtic have their second tough test this week when we face another play-off candidate, Boston United (Kick off 3pm). Boston are currently sixty-seven points in fourth, fourteen places and twenty-seven points ahead of Celtic, though they have played a game more. There will be a match centre for this game.

Until a wobble around November, Boston were in the play-offs, and have finally managed to hit a run of form that has got them back into contention. They are now unbeaten in eight games now, putting them in pole position to cement a play-off place if they win and Tamworth lose. This is the second time in a week that Celtic have had a say in who is in the play-offs and who isn't. Boston's last away game saw them draw 1-1 with Oxford, prior to that they had two away wins to Gloucester (1-0) and Hednesford (2-1). Boston's last away loss was the end of February when they lost 2-0 at Guiseley.

Over the past three games Boston have not conceded a goal, and have scored four. Twice this season, they've put five past a team including beating Colwyn Bay 5-0 and Harrogate Town 5-2 (both at home). Their top scorer is Dayle Southwell, who has twenty-five goals this season, putting him third in the overall league scorer's table behind Adi Yassuf of Oxford and Omar Bogle of Solihull. On average they score 1.8 goals per game (1.2 away) whilst conceding 1.3 goals per game (home and away). Thanks in large part to Southwell who has scored a third of all their goals, Boston have the fifth best attack in the league.

Over the past few meetings between the two teams, there have been a lot of draws. Over thelast five meetings, Boston have won once at their place (in 2012) and once at ours (last season), the other three meetings have been draws, including our visit to Boston earlier this season. That win in 2012 that finished 1-0 to Boston is there only win here, but Celtic's last victory over Boston at Bower Fold is way back in the 2011/12, when we won 3-0. We also won in the previous seasons going back to 1992, including a 2-1 win in January 2002 when both teams were in the Conference National.

Boston appear to be at full strength ahead of the game. In their last match, the crucial 2-0 win over play-off rivals Tamworth, Boston lined up as:
1. Max Stryjek
2. Liam Marrs
3. Zak Mills
4. Carl Piergianni
5. Rene Steer
6. Kaine Felix
7. Scott Garner
8. Grant Roberts
9. Kyle Dixon
10. Dayle Southwell
11. Mark Jones

Celtic will be without Stefan Galinski who transferred from Boston, and is not allowed to play against them as part of the terms of his contract, and our other former Bostonian, Lewis King, is still recovering from injury, though he made the bench against Guiseley. Kelvin Bleau is also progressing on the road to recovery, but won't feature. In our last game, the vital 2-0 away win over Guiseley, Celtic lined up as:
1. Ross Etheridge
2. Stefan Galinski
3. Peter Wylie
4. Matty Hughes
5. Matt Regan
6. Michael Potts
7. Aidan Chippendale
8. Ben McKenna
9. Chris Simm
10. Michael Powell
11. Alex Mudimu

This is another vital game for Celtic, with only two points between us and the three teams below us. A win for us and a loss for Gloucester could put us above them on goal difference (their's is currently three goals better), whilst a loss would allow Colwyn Bay, Leamington and Brackley all to pass us, should they win their respective games. However, should they lose, and Celtic win, we would only need one point from the remaining three games to be safe. Something unthinkable last month.

Games to watch are Brackley hosting Barrow, Colwyn Bay away at North Ferriby, Leamington away at Tamworth and Gloucester hosting Chorley. Their games and ours are all bottom and top clashes, and will have a bearing on the final placement at either end of the table.

There is a full schedule this Saturday:
AFC Fylde (75pts 2nd) v Solihull Moors (53pts 10th)
Brackley Town (38pts 21st) v Barrow (78pts 1st)
Bradford Park Avenue (48pts 14th) v Guiseley (66pts 5th)
Gloucester City (43pts 17th) v Chorley (70pts 3rd)
Lowestoft Town (47pts 15th) v Hednesford Town (60pts 8th)
North Ferriby United (53pts 11th) v Colwyn Bay (39pts 19th)
Oxford City (62pts 7th) v Harrogate Town (51pts 13th)
Stockport County (53pts 12th) v Gainsborough Trinity (46pts 16th)
Tamworth (63pts 6th) v Leamington FC (38pts 20th)
Worcester City (54pts 9th) v Hyde (20pts 2nd)

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T K Components
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Mike & Lesley Elliott
Man of the Match Sponsor
Eric Stafford
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