On Saturday, it’s back to league action for Celtic when Runcorn Linnets roll into town. Runcorn are currently eleventh on twenty-four points, two places behind Celtic on goal difference only, with a game in hand. Kick-off is 3pm.

Though Runcorn started the season slowly, with one win in their opening seven matches, including a 6-2 defeat at home to Hednesford, in their last ten they’ve turned it around with three defeats in ten, propelling them up the table. Away from home, they’ve not lost since Avro beat them 3-1 back at the start of September, and have beaten league toppers, Vauxhall, in Ellesmere port back at the end of September. Their last away match saw them beat City of Liverpool in a local derby, winning 1-0. Linnets are better away from home than they are at it, taking fourteen from twenty-four points on the road, and ten from twenty-seven at home.

Though Taylor Bowen tops their league golden boot chart with four, their last away goal was scored by Will Saxon, who now has three goals to his name. On average, away from home, Runcorn score 0.8 goals per game (1.2 overall) but they do have the third worst away attack scoring seven on the road, and failing to score three times. On the flip side, they have the third best away defence, conceding nine at a rate of 1.1 goals per game (1.5 overall), and keeping four of their six clean sheets away from home. Their danger period is right before half time, scoring six of their twenty-one goals in this period, whilst with the last few minutes their weak spot, conceding eight of their twenty-six goals in this period.

Since their formation in 2006, we’ve met Runcorn Linnets once in the FA Cup, twice in the league, and three times in the Cheshire Senior cup; the first encounter of these back in 2013, forms our only win over Runcorn since our first meeting. Last season, Runcorn beat us home and away 1-0, their last visit here won by a freak goal, but they all count.

In Runcorn’s last match, the 2-0 home win over Kidsgrove, Runcorn lined up as:
1. Bayleigh Passant
2. Sam Barratt
3. James Short
4. Karl Clair
5. Jac Grundy
6. Harvey Washington
7. Will Saxon
8. Lewis Doyle
9. Eden Gumbs
10. Luke Wall
11. Naim Arsen

In Celtic’s last match, the 2-1 home win over Radcliffe, Celtic lined up as:
1. James McClenaghan
2. Javid Swaby-Neavin
3. Kyle Brownhill
4. Sean tse
5. Jordan Burton
6. Jack Tinning
7. Brandon Newell
8. Liam Tongue
9. Joe Duckworth
10. Jack Irlam
11. Navid Nasseri

With three wins in the last ten matches, Celtic sit way down in the form table, well off promotion form. Aaron Chalmers played thirty minutes against Radcliffe, though the defence isn’t out of the woods yet, ,with Javid Swaby-Neavin suspended.