On Saturday, Celtic travel across Cheshire to face Nantwich Town (kick off 3pm). Nantwich are currently fourth in the league, nine places and twenty-two points above Celtic. There will be a match centre and Twitter feed for the game.
Nantwich are having an excellent season, having lost just two at home and three on the road. In September and October they went on an eleven game unbeaten run, which would have been a twenty game run, but for a reversal at home to Matlock. Their last five home games have seen a bit of a dip, with draws with South Shields and Scarborough and a loss to Witton, but they did beat Basford (3-2) back at the end of December and, most recently, Bamber Bridge (2-0) on Tuesday. In sixteen home games this season, they have won nine, lost two and drawn five.
Nantwich have scored fifty-three goals this season, putting them just outside the top five attacks. They have conceded thirty-eight, again just outside the top five defences. Danny Glover and Sean Cooke are currently vying for top scorer with nine and eight respectively, though Joseph Malkin is putting in a final straight spurt right behind on seven. In all they have fourteen different scorers. At home they score an average of 1.7 goals per game, whilst conceding 1.1 goals per game. They have kept five of their ten clean sheets at home and failed to score in four home games.
We have already played Nantwich this season, drawing 1-1 at Bower Fold with Ross Dent's equaliser not enough to spur Celtic on to victory. Their most recent visit was in the FA Trophy when Celtic won 1-0 thanks to a Scott Bakkor penalty. Our last visit to the Weaver Stadium was in April when we lost in the Cheshire Senior Cup after drawing level three times through a Jake Charles brace and a goal from Matty Wolfenden, only to lose in extra time. Our last league visit saw a reverse of the Cheshire Senior cup game, where the Dabbers twice pegged Celtic back, only for Matty Wolfenden to score a stoppage time winner and the game finish 3-2 to Celtic. In the last thirty years, we've mainly visited in cup competitions, and in seven visits, Celtic have won four and Nantwich three.
In their last match, the 2-0 home win over Bamber Bridge, Nantwich lined up as:
1. Will Jaaskelainen
2. Jamie Morgan
3. Louis Barnes
4. Joel Stair
5. Toby Mullarkey
6. Caspar Hughes
7. Troy Bourne
8. Matt Bell
9. Danny Glover
10. Sean Cooke
11. Callum Saunders
In the Celtic's last match, the 0-1 home defeat to LAncaster, Celtic lined up as:
1. Paddy Wharton
2. Douglas Nyaupembe
3. Nathan Heath
4. Liam Tongue
5. Chris Smalley
6. Olly Marx
7. Scott Bakkor
8. Mark Lees
9. Dan Cockerline
10. Ross Dent
11. Neil Kengni
Celtic's form in 2019 has been poor, with two wins, one at home and one away, two draws (both away) and five losses. This has seen Celtic plummet down the form table to sixteenth and started to draw us in the battle for survival. Although we could move up to eleventh with a win (if Matlock lose to North Ferriby and Whitby lose to Basford), five teams are now within three points of Celtic, and we could drop to seventeenth with a loss, depending on Marine, Lancaster and Bamber Bridge results. It could have been worse, if Grantham's goal difference was better, and they and Hednesford and Grantham draw, as that would put us one place above the drop zone. In other words, Celtic need some wins. Soon.
Table |
P | Pts | |
2 | Farsley Celtic | 30 | 62 |
---|---|---|---|
3 | South Shields | 30 | 61 |
4 | Nantwich Town | 32 | 61 |
5 | Gainsborough Trinity | 32 | 52 |
6 | Buxton | 31 | 49 |
Sat 02 Mar 2019 | Stalybridge Celtic | 4-2 |
Tue 26 Feb 2019 | Bamber Bridge | 2-0 |
Sat 23 Feb 2019 | Warrington Town | 3-3 |
Sat 16 Feb 2019 | Scarborough Athletic | 1-1 |
Sat 09 Feb 2019 | Farsley Celtic | 1-2 |
Goal Scorers | H | A | 1st | 2nd | Total | |
1 | Malkin, Joseph | 6 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 10 |
2 | Cooke, Sean | 2 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
3 | Glover, Danny | 2 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 7 |
4 | Saunders, Callum | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
4= | Lawrie, James | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
Home win | Whitby Town | 4-1 | Sat 15th Sep |
Away win | Stafford Rangers | 1-4 | Wed 26th Dec |
Home defeat | Matlock Town | 1-4 | Sat 3rd Nov |
Away defeat | South Shields | 4-0 | Sat 1st Sep |
Home score | Lancaster City | 5-2 | Sat 25th Aug |
Away score | Warrington Town | 3-3 | Sat 23rd Feb |
Games Since... | Overall | Home | Away |
Last Scored | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Last Conceded | 2 | 2 | 1 |
Last Won | 1 | 1 | 3 |
Last Drew | 2 | 2 | 1 |
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 18 miles to Junction 16 (A500, Crewe and Nantwich).
At the roundabout at the end of the slip road, turn right (3 of 4) onto the A500.
Stay on the A500 for one mile to a roundabout with the A51, cross the roundabout (2 of 4) onto the A51 into Nantwich.
After a mile and two roundabouts (first exit off each), cross the roundabout by the station onto the A530 (Water Lode).
Follow Water Lode round for half a mile, and the club is on the right hand side.