Match Preview :- Bamber Bridge - Saturday October 12th, 2019 (15:00:00)

On Saturday, Celtic are back at home to face Bamber Bridge (kick off 3pm). Bamber Bridge are currently seventeenth on nine points in the league, five places and four points behind Celtic, despite having played a game more.

Bamber Bridge have yet to win away from home this season, losing six of their seven away matches. The only point picked up was a 1-1 draw away at Buxton at the start of September. Their last two away matches were a 1-0 defeat at FC United and a 4-1 defeat at Gainsborough. At home they are faring slightly better, winning their two opening matches, beating Ashton 3-2 and Atherton 3-0, though their most recent home matches have both been draws, getting a late winner to equalise against Witton and most recently, a 2-2 draw with Nantwich.

Bamber Bridge have scored four goals away from home this season, from fourteen in total, at a rate of 0.6 per game (1.3 overall). At the other end, they have conceded fifteen goals away from home from a total of twenty-three, at a rate of 2.1 goals per game (1.9 overall). They have kept only one clean sheet, and that was at home, whilst they have failed to score in three away matches. Only a quarter of their goals scored have come in the first half, whilst half of their conceding is done in the first half, so hitting them hard in the first half seems to be a useful tactic. Alistair Waddecar and Kieran Charnock are currently tied as their top scorers, with three each, though Waddecar is yet to score away from home.

In the last twenty years, Bamber Bridge have visited Bower Fold four times, most recently last season when Celtic won 3-2, with goals from Matty Wolfenden, Scott Bakkor and Neil Kengni. It was a different story in the return fixture, when Bamber Bridge won 3-0. Prior to last season, it was around the turn of the millennium when the two teams met. Celtic having the better of the results, with three wins and a loss, and two draws (both at Bower Fold), meaning Bamber Bridge have never won at Bower Fold.

In Bamber Bridge's last match, the 2-2 home draw with Nantwich, they lined up as:
1. Danny Roccia
2. Callum Spooner
3. Adam Sumner
4. Matt Lawlor
5. Kieran Charnock
6. Matthew Dudley
7. Alistair Waddecar
8. Thomas Walker
9. Michael Fowler
10. Gary Pett
11. Chris Marlow

Callum Spooner is Brig's connection to Celtic, though he never made it to the pitch, the fullback was on the bench seven times. In other player news for Bamber Bridge, they have loaned Matty Thompson and Louis Haynes on loan from Chester City.

Celtic were desperately unlucky not to come away from South Shields without points on Tuesday, but in that match Celtic lined up as:
1. Alex Fojtíček
2. Declan Walker
3. Kallum Mantack
4. Ross Dent
5. Stephen O'Halloran
6. Chris Smalley
7. Scott Bakkor
8. Nathan Valentine
9. Craig Hobson
10. Darius Osei
11. Jonathan Ustabasi

There are four teams within reach of Celtic, should we win, though it would take a large win margin for Celtic to overtake eighth placed Warrington. Hyde, Grantham and FC United are all achievable to overtake with three points. Witton, Morpeth and Scarborough are all capable of leapfrogging Celtic, should we lose. Warrington are away at Whitby, whilst Hyde and Grantham play each other. FC United are hosting Buxton, Witton host South Shields, Morpeth host Basford and Scarborough are hosting Stafford.

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