Match Preview :- Harrogate Town - Tuesday September 13th, 2016 (19:45:00)

On Tuesday, Celtic travel to Harrogate Town in a fixture rearranged to the away match due to a floodlight failure at Bower Fold. Harrogate are currently third in the league on twenty-one points, seventeen places above twentieth placed Celtic. There should be a match centre for this game, though it may be a reduced one.

Last season, Harrogate finished fourth after a good season that saw them pick up seventy-two points, finishing in the top five, although it took a final day win to stay in the top five. They had spent most of the season in the top five, apart from a wobble in March that saw them go six games without a win, picking up three draws. They finished thirteen points off top spot, and in their last five games of the season picked up one win, two draws and two losses that allowed Nuneaton to come within a whisker of pushing them into sixth.

Harrogate have had a great start to this season, unbeaten in their opening nine games, their only loss so far was their most recent game, the 1-0 away defeat at Alfreton. Thanks to the league's joint second highest goal-scorer, Jon Paul Pittman with seven goals, Harrogate have been scoring regularly, failing to score at least two in only two matches, a 1-0 away win at Halifax, and the Alfreton game. They are scoring an average of two goals a game, and conceding about one per game. They have twenty-goals so far this season and have conceded eleven.

Celtic's last win over Harrogate was at Bower Fold in April 2015, a game we won 2-1 with Michael Powell and Aidan Chippendale getting a vital win. Chippendale's goal was a match winner in every sense. The last meeting was at Wetherby Road and finished 2-1 to Harrogate; after an early Jack Higgins own-goal was wiped out by a Chris Simm goal later on. It looked like Celtic make take the point, but a stoppage time free kick was converted by Brendon Daniels. Celtic's last win at Bowqer Fold was in January 2010, when we won 4-0 thanks to goals from Jody Banim, Lee Dodgson and Michael Carr.

Harrogate will be without Ben Parker and Lloyd Kerry, who are all long term injuries for the club, though other long-term injury Dominic Knowles came on as a second half substitute against Alfreton. In that match, the 1-0 away defeat to Alfreton Town they lined up as:
1. Peter Crook
2. Joe Colbeck
3. Lewis Turner
4. Andi Thanoj
5. Simon Ainge
6. Luke Shiels
7. Warren Burrell
8. Tom Platt
9. Jon Paul Pittman
10. Chib Chilaka
11. Joe Leesley

Celtic have brought in two new faces for Tuesday. Re-joining Jay Gorton and Danny Wilkins are Ashton United defenders Gary Gee and Adam Mather. All four are eligible for selection on Tuesday. In Celtic's last match, the tense 1-0 away defeat to Halifax, Celtic lined up as:
1. Tony McMillan
2. Peter Wylie
3. Graham Kelly
4. Jay Gorton
5. Matty Hughes
6. Nick Ryan
7. Aaron Chalmers
8. Danny Wisdom
9. Andy Owens
10. Danny Wilkins
11. Aidan Chippendale

A win for Celtic could lift us four places, whilst a loss could put us back to the bottom of the table on goal difference or goals scored, depending on the Altrincham and Bradford mid-week matches.

Other midweek games (Bradford play Wednesday):
Boston United v Alfreton Town
Brackley Town v Worcester City
Chorley v Salford City
Gainsborough Trinity v FC Halifax Town
Gloucester City v AFC Telford
Kidderminster Harriers v Tamworth
Nuneaton Town v Altrincham
Stockport County v AFC Fylde
Bradford Park Avenue v Darlington

Directions
Distance: 68
Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Head up the M60 towards Oldham.
At junction 18 join the M62 towards Leeds.
After 35 miles you will reach junction 29 (M1).
Join the M1 going north.
Stay on the M1 for 7 miles to the end where it joins the A1 going north.
Stay on the A1 for 5 miles to the junction with the A661 (Wetherby).
At the roundabout at the end of the slip road go straight across (exit 2 of 4) to stay on the A661.
After 400 yards there is a set of lights.
Turn left here to stay on the A661 (signposted Harrogate).
The road is called Market Place.
After approximately 6 miles there is a roundabout with the A658.
Go straight across (exit 2 of 4) to stay on the A661.
After a further 2 miles, the ground is on the right, just after a pedestrian crossing.
Parking is available on Lancaster Park Road just past the ground on the right.