Match Preview :- FC United Of Manchester - Saturday April 1st, 2017 (15:00:00)

On Saturday night, Celtic travel just round the M60 to FC United of Manchester. FC United require only three more points to make themselves mathematically safe. They are currently on forty-six points in thirteenth, twenty-seven points and eight places above Celtic having played three games more. There will be a match centre and Twitter feed for this game.

Celtic can only reach forty-six points even if we won all our remaining fixtures, one place above us, Gainsborough Trinity, can only manage forty-nine, so after Saturday, even if FC United lose, if Gainsborough also lose, FC United will still be mathematically safe.

FC have been around their current position all season, flirting with the bottom four briefly in September, but never seriously. Currently they have won four of their last six, after coming out of a slump of six games without a win. Since beating us 4-2 back in November, ending three losses on the bounce, FC United have only lost five games in seventeen, with five draws in that period. Their away form is slightly better than their home form, having won five at home, but seven on the road. The only team that they have taken six points off this season is Kidderminster. FC United's last home game was a 3-0 defeat by Halifax, though they won the previous two beating Tamworth and Kidderminster. Their most recent game was a 2-1 win away at Curzon.

George Thompson is currently edging the golden boot at FC United, with eleven goals, just pipping Jason Gilchrist on ten. They have scored fifty-five goals (twenty0seven at home), at a rate of 1.5 goals per game. They have conceded fifty-eight goals (thirty at home) at a rate of 1.6 goals per game (1.7 at home). They have six clean sheets at home (nine in total), and have failed to score four times (eight in total).

We've met FC United six times competitively since their formation in 2005. Last season, it was a clean sweep for Celtic, beating them twice at their own place in the league (1-0) and Manchester Cup (3-4), and a 1-0 win at home over them to boot. This season, they have already beaten us at Bower Fold, winning comfortably 4-2, Celtic's goals coming from Aidan Chippendale and Brian Summerskill.

In FC United's last match, the 2-1 win away at Curzon, they lined up as:
1. Adriano Basso
2. Dale Tonge
3. Chris Chantler
4. Scott Kay
5. Jordan Fagbola
6. Luke Ashworth
7. Matthew Wolfenden
8. Nathan Lowe
9. Tomi Adeloye
10. Jerome Wright
11. Greg Wilkinson

In Celtic's last match, the 2-0 home defeat to AFC Telford, Celtic lined up as:
1. Grant Shenton
2. Danny Morton
3. Danny Wisdom
4. Matty Hughes
5. Matt Regan
6. Darren McKnight
7. Kieran Dunbar
8. Mathias Bakare
9. James Roberts
10. Danny Wilkins
11. Porya Ahmadi

Celtic are not mathematically down yet, but unless results pick up, we soon will be.

Other fixtures on Saturday:
AFC Fylde (75pts 1st) v Darlington (64pts 5th)
AFC Telford (37pts 17th) v Worcester City (33pts 19th)
Alfreton Town (40pts 16th) v Bradford Park Avenue (37pts 18th)
Brackley Town (58pts 8th) v Boston United (42pts 15th)
Chorley (63pts 7th) v Gainsborough Trinity (31pts 20th)
Curzon Ashton (47pts 12th) v Gloucester City (56pts 9th)
Kidderminster Harriers (69pts 2nd) v FC Halifax Town (64pts 3rd)
Salford City (64pts 4th) v Altrincham (17pts 22nd)
Stockport County (63pts 6th) v Nuneaton Town (45pts 14th)
Tamworth (56pts 10th) v Harrogate Town (54pts 11th)

Directions
Distance: 9
Time: 23 minutes

Leave the M60 at junction 22.
At the end of the slip-road, go straight on to Hollingwood Avenue (A6104).
At the Greengate roundabout take the first exit onto Lightbowne Road (B6393).
After half a mile, Broadhurst Park is on your left.