Match Preview :- Tamworth - Saturday April 22nd, 2017 (15:00:00)

On Saturday, Celtic face Tamworth knowing one loss and it's over. Tamworth are currently ninth in the league, on sixty-three points; twelve places and thirty-eight points above Celtic having played a game more. There will be a match centre and Twitter feed for this game.

Though Tamworth have only lost four times at home, on the road, they have won only five from twenty games, losing eleven and drawing four. They have not won away from home since the start of December when they beat Altrincham 2-1, though they have drawn three they have lost the other seven. Their most recent games were losing to Stockport (2-1) and Darlington (3-2) with their most recent away game being a goalless draw at Bradford Park Avenue. Their most recent game, however, was a 4-1 victory at home to Alfreton. In their last five they have lost two, won two and drawn one. Tamworth cannot reach the play-offs any more, even if they win their last two games.

Tamworth have scored sixty-seven goals this season (twenty-six away) at a rate of 1.7 goals per game (1.3 goals a game away). They have conceded sixty-six goals (thirty-nine away) at a rate of 1.6 goals per game (two goals a game away). They have kept two clean sheets away this season, six overall, and failed to score nine times away (ten times overall). Their top scorer is Danny Newton, on twenty-four – which puts him second in the league's Golden Boot, although in any other season he would have won the Golden Boot, he's twenty behind Danny Rowe.

Over the past thirty years, Tamworth have visited Bower Fold five times, once in the FA Trophy in 2007 when they won 2-0. In the league, they have won only once here, last season, when they beat us 5-3, with one of the worst first half performances in a long time, going down 4-0 at the interval, but almost pulling it back thanks to goals from Jack Higgins, Chris Simm and Steve Tames; however, it wasn't enough. In the other three games, Celtic have drawn two and last beat Tamworth at Bower Fold in September 2013, when we won 3-1 with goals from James Cadman, Paul Ennis and Ben McKenna. The last meeting between the two sides was in Tamworth, when they won 2-1, Scot Spencer's goal at the start of the second half cancelled out by two goals in a minute after Celtic had lost Adam Mather twenty minutes into the game.

In Tamworth's most recent game, the 4-1 home win over Alfreton, they lined up as:
1. Dan Jezeph
2. Andy Burns
3. Stephen Morley
4. Ellis Deeney
5. Paul Green
6. Jack Lane
7. Brandon Fox
8. Ben Fox
9. Danny Newton
10. Reece Styche
11. Connor Taylor

Celtic's last match was 1-0 home loss to promotion hopefuls, Chorley, in which Celtic lined up as:
1. Grant Shenton
2. Danny Morton
3. Danny Wisdom
4. Matty Hughes
5. Adam Mather
6. Aaron Chalmers
7. Kieran Dunbar
8. Gary Gee
9. Andy Bishop
10. James Roberts
11. Matt Regam

After that loss, Celtic now need to win all their remaining fixtures, and hope that Gainsborough and Worcester pick up at most a point in their remaining two fixtures. It's a tall ask – but while it's possible, Celtic should keep fighting. Worcester and Gainsborough both have tough fixtures against top of the table teams fighting for a play-off spot in the case of Salford City away at Worcester, and for the title in the case of Kidderminster Harriers away at Gainsborough.

Other games this weekend:
Altrincham (22nd 20pts) v Alfreton Town (18th 40pts)
Boston United (15th 47pts) v AFC Fylde (1st 82pts)
Bradford Park Avenue (16th 43pts) v Stockport County (7th 69pts)
Darlington (4th 73pts) v AFC Telford (17th 41pts)
FC Halifax Town (3rd 74pts) v Curzon Ashton (13th 49pts)
Gainsborough Trinity (20th 35pts) v Kidderminster Harriers (2nd 78pts)
Gloucester City (10th 62pts) v Chorley (5th 73pts)
Harrogate Town (11th 55pts) v Brackley Town (8th 67pts)
Nuneaton Town (12th 54pts) v FC United of Manchester (14th 48pts)
Worcester City (19th 35pts) v Salford City (6th 71pts)

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Man of the Match Sponsor
Celtic Bhoys
Programme Sponsor
Mike Brierley