Match Preview :- Tamworth - Saturday November 19th, 2016 (15:00:00)

On Saturday, Celtic are back on their travels to face Tamworth (kick off 3pm). Tamworth are currently fifth in the table with thirty-two points, sixteen places and twenty-one points ahead of Celtic. There will be a match centre.

Tamworth have now won four games on the bounce, with their last loss a 3-2 away defeat to Gainsborough. Their last home loss was five games ago when they lost 1-0 to Chorley. In their last two home games, they had good wins over the two teams vying for the championship, Darlington and Fylde, beating them 2-1 and 1-0 respectively. They have only lost once at home this season, the defeat by Chorley, and had only one home draw, a 1-1 against FC United. They have had six home wins, including a 5-1 thrashing of Bradford.

They have scored thirty-three goals this season fifteen at home) at a rate of 1.9 goals per game. They have conceded twenty-nine goals (six at home) at a rate of 1.7 goals per game (0.8 at home). Nobody in the league has conceded fewer home goals than Tamworth, though Chorley have also only conceded six at home. Their top scorer is Danny Newton who has thirteen, well ahead of his closest rival, Ross Dyer on five.

We have a reasonable record against Tamworth, and in our last five visits we have won two and drawn one – the most recent visit there in September last season, when we drew 1-1, though if the game had been thirty seconds shorter, we would have won 1-0 thanks to Bohan Dixon's stroke of half time opener. Our last win was in August 2008, when Nathan Joynes, Terry Barwick and Lee Ellington allowed us to win 3-0, with Barwick's thirty-five yard screamer the pick of the goals, run a close second by a curler from the corner of the box by Ellington. Tamworth's last win over us there was in January 2015, when they won 4-1 whilst enjoying a mammoth fifteen game winning streak, Calvert Dominic-Lewin the scorer for Celtic.

In Tamworth's last match, the 3-4 away win over Harrogate, Tamworth lined up as:
1. James Belshaw
2. Andy Burns
3. Stephen Morley
4. Ellis Deeney
5. Luke Jones
6. Jack Lane
7. Greg Mills
8. Joe Clarke
9. Danny Newton
10. Ross Dyer
11. Connor Taylor

Celtic will need to look at the fitness of Keil O'Brien, Shay Gorton and Nick Ryan ahead of the match if the leaky home defence is to be shorn up. In Celtic's last match, the 4-2 home defeat to FC United of Manchester, Celtic lined up as:
1. Grant Shenton
2. Danny Morton
3. Adam Mather
4. Matty Hughes
5. Danny Wisdom
6. Darren McKnight
7. Brian Summerskill
8. Gary Gee
9. Liam Dickinson
10. Josh Hine
11. Aidan Chippendale

There's no denying this will be a tough match for the Celts. It's a top v bottom clash, with the meanest home defence against the league's worst attack and worst defence. A loss for Celtic could allow Altrincham to overtake us, and put us bottom, if they win away at Alfreton. A win, whilst welcome, would not allow us to catch Bradford, even if they lose away at Stockport.

Other fixtures this Saturday:
AFC Fylde (41pts 1st) v Boston United (20pts 14th)
AFC Telford (18pts 16th) v Darlington (37pts 2nd)
Alfreton Town (17pts 17th) v Altrincham (7pts 22nd)
Brackley Town (30pts 9th) v Harrogate Town (28pts 10th)
Chorley (37pts 3rd) v Gloucester City (30pts 7th)
Curzon Ashton (17pts 18th) v FC Halifax Town (33pts 4th)
FC United of Manchester (20pts 13th) v Nuneaton Town (16pts 19th)
Kidderminster Harriers (31pts 6th) v Gainsborough Trinity (19pts 15th)
Salford City (30pts 8th) v Worcester City (22pts 12th)
Stockport County (28pts 11th) v Bradford Park Avenue (13pts 20th)

Directions
Distance: 95
Time: 1 hour and 45 minutes

From the M67 join the M60 towards Stockport.
After 7 miles, leave the M60 at Junction 4 (Chester, M6) to join the M56 Stay on the M56 for 7 miles, coming off at junction 7 (Northwich, M6) to join the A556.
The roundabout can be avoided by using the slip road.
Stay on the A556 for 5 miles to the roundabout with the M6.
Join the M6 southbound (Birmingham) avoiding the roundabout by using the slip road.
Stay on the M6 for 55 miles to Junction 11a (M6 Toll).
Join the M6 Toll, and stay on it for 15.
5 miles, to Junction T4 (Tamworth, A5).
After 5 miles, at the roundabout take exit 4 of 5 to join the A453 (Riverdrive).
Stay on the A453 over three roundabouts to a roundabout with the B5000 (signposted Glascote).
Take the second exit onto Glascote Road (B5000).
Almost immediately there is a second roundabout, go straight across (signposted Kettlebrook).
The ground is on the right.