Match Preview :- Boston United - Saturday April 30th, 2016 (15:00:00)

On Saturday, Celtic finish the season with a home game against play-off hopefuls Boston United. Boston are currently fifth in the league in the play-off spots, seven places and fifteen points ahead of Celtic, and more importantly to them, one point ahead of Nuneaton Town. There will be a match centre for this game.

A shaky September that saw one win in six games with four losses left Boston entrenched midtable, but between October and February four losses, two draws and twelve wins lifted them into the play-offs. They couldn't sustain the run and February and March saw them win just one in eight. However, a 2-1 win away at Tamworth started a strong finish to the season, with four wins and a draw in their last five matches. This plus Nuneaton's three point deduction has left Boston needing to match Nuneaton's result or winning to ensure a play-off place. They won their most recent match, a 2-1 victory over Nuneaton ensuring they are in control going into the last game. Their last away loss was in March when Chorley beat them 2-0, after previously losing away at Fylde 5-2 (we know how that feels!).

Dayle Southwell's twenty-one goals puts him second in the league's Golden Boot table, one goal behind North Ferriby's Tom Denton. He's got the Boston Golden boot, with his closest rival Carl Piergianni twelve behind on nine. Boston have the fourth best attack and have scored an average of 1.6 goals per game this season. Their defence is somewhat off the top five however, and they concede 1.6 goals per game away from home and 1.5 overall. They have kept three clean sheets on the road, but have only failed to score five times. The start of the second half is their strongest period with ten of their sixty-five goals in this period, though they are also strong midway through the half with another ten. With thirteen conceded, the hour mark is their weakest period. They have never won a game they've been losing at half time, though they have turned one of the seven times that happened into a draw. With nine wins away from home, it's been their home record that has helped them up the table, with six losses all season.

We are one of the few teams to beat Boston at their own place this season, when we won 3-0, with goals from Chris Simm, Steve Tames and Dale Wright going unanswered. However, the last win for Celtic at Bower Fold was four games ago back in December 2011 when we again won 3-0, a Craig Hobson brace and an Arthur Gnahoua sealing that win. The last two visits by Boston ended in draws, whilst their last win here was in October 2012 when they won 1-0.

Boston should have a full squad to choose from ahead of the match, and given the importance of the match won't be resting anybody ahead of the play-offs. In their last match, the 2-1 victory over Nuneaton, they lined up as:
1. Fabian Spiess
2. Zak Mills
3. Nat Brown
4. Carl Piergianni
5. Dylan McEvoy
6. Scott Garner
7. Grant Roberts
8. Lewis Hilliard
9. Kaine Felix
10. Dayle Southwell
11. Jay Rollins

Celtic should have am almost full squad to choose from, although Aidan Chippendale is the major doubt after missing the Manchester Premier Cup final through injury. In that match, the 3-1 defeat to Mossley, Celtic lined up as:
1. Tony McMillan
2. Peter Wylie
3. Danny Wisdom
4. Matty Hughes
5. Jack Higgins
6. Aaron Chalmers
7. Adam Farrell
8. Dale Wright
9. Chris Simm
10. Steve Tames
11. Alec Mudimu

A win for Celtic could lift us one place into the top half of the table, whilst a loss could see us drop to fifteenth. If we play it as the meaningless game it is for Celtic, Boston will roll over us, and that would leave the season feeling a wash-out. As well as our game being important for the final table, Nuneaton will be expecting to beat already relegated Hednesford, but Brackley will be hoping to beat Tamworth (who will finish seventh or eighth whatever happens) and that Gloucester draw with or beat Lowestoft. If Brackley win, a draw isn't enough for Lowestoft as Brackley have eleven goals on them in the goal-difference column.

Other games this weekend:
Brackley Town (43pts 20th) v Tamworth (63pts 7th)
Bradford Park Avenue (50pts 14th) v Gainsborough Trinity (47pts 18th)
Chorley (60pts 8th) v AFC Telford (47pts 17th)
FC United of Manchester (52pts 13th) v Solihull Moors (84pts 1st)
Harrogate Town (69pts 4th) v Corby Town (32pts 22nd)
Lowestoft Town (45pts 19th) v Gloucester City (49pts 15th)
North Ferriby United (76pts 2nd) v Alfreton Town (55pts 11th)
Nuneaton Town (67pts 6th) v Hednesford Town (38pts 21st)
Stockport County (58pts 9th) v Curzon Ashton (56pts 10th)
Worcester City (47pts 16th) v AFC Fylde (74pts 3rd)

Match Sponsor
Celtic Bhoys
Ball Sponsor
Harold Flowers/B Stanley/Sterling Racing
Man of the Match Sponsor
Gerry Moore
Programme Sponsor
Hale Barnes Cricket Club