On Friday night, Celtic face Hanley Town in a re-arranged fixture. Hanley Town are currently twentieth in the league on five points, fifteen places and eight points behind fifth placed Celtic. Kick off 7:45pm.

Hanley finished right below Celtic last season, eight points behind us. They had one of the best defences, but a middle-of-the-table attack. This season, they have the second best defence (based on a goals-per-game), and the second worst attack, having scored six, with only Atherton Collieries behind them. With one win this season, away at Celtic’s neighbours, Mossley, which they won 3-0, they have only lost once on the road in their four away games, with Trafford beating them 2-1. Their other away games were both draws, 0-0 away at City of Liverpool, and in their last match 1-1 away at Clitheroe. Hanley are still in the FA Trophy after beating Sherwood Colliery 1-0 at the weekend.

Though six different people have got onto the score sheet, with a goal apiece, they don’t yet have a front runner for their golden boot. On average, they are scoring 1.2 goals per game away from home, but only 0.3 at home, giving them an overall average of 0.8 goals per game. Their goalless draw at Liverpool was the only game they failed to score in. Defensively, they have conceded 0.8 per game on the road, but 2.7 at home, giving them an average of 1.7 goals per game, with two clean sheets on the road, and none at home. They are definitely a travelling team this season.

We met Hanley twice last season, and won both games 2-1, with Aaron Dwyer scoring in both games, aided by Max Harrop and Obua Mugalula, with Celtic being pegged back in the first half in both games, before winning it in the second.

In Hanley’s last match, the 1-01 home win over Sherwood, Hanley lined up as:
1. Adam Whitehouse
2. Pawel Zuk
3. Louis Kennan
4. Timothy Sanders
5. Joel Stair
6. Ryan Shotton
7. Will Igoe
8. Brandon Newall
9. Tom Pope
10. Dylan Scott
11. Ethan Beckford

In Celtic’s last match the 3-2 home defeat to Wythenshawe, Celtic lined up as:
1. Charlie Monks
2. Javid Swaby-Neavin
3. Jack Tinning
4. Jordan Butterworth
5. Aaron Chalmers
6. Sean Tse
7. Jack Banister
8. Liam Tongue
9. Joe Duckworth
10. Max Leonard
11. Matty Bryan

As the Wythenshawe game proved, Celtic cannot go into any game believing they are automatic winners based on league position. Hanley are a decent away team, and have bolstered their squad defensively with Joel Stair and Pawel Zuk.