Saturday sees Celtic welcome Solihull Moors to Bower Fold. This will be the first visit to Bower Fold for the Moors since the merger of Moor Green and Solihull Borough. They have not had the best of seasons since their merger, and currently sit nine points and three places above the relegation zone in seventeenth on thirty-nine points, thirty-one points and fourteen places behind Celtic with a game in hand on us. There will be a live match centre for this match.

Solihull?s season has been disappointing in terms of results, but can take heart in the fact that they have lost only two in their last six, with two wins against top-five sides (Harrogate and Telford). Their last away match was a 0-0 draw with Alfreton, whilst they also drew their last match 0-0 with Redditch. They also have a good return record, taking points off fifteen of the twenty-one teams in the division. Only Boston and Kettering have taken all six points off them, whilst they have taken all six off Tamworth and Gainsborough.

Our last meeting with Solihull Moors was earlier in the season when we tore them apart with a comprehensive 4-0 victory in Solihull. In their previous incarnation as Moor Green, their last visit here was profitable for them, winning 3-2, whilst the season before we beat them 4-1; our only other meeting was a 2-2 draw in the inaugural season of the Conference North. At their place we have won one, lost one and drawn one, so history does not provide a clue as to how this game will go. The automated prediction algorithm is suggesting Celtic will get back to winning ways with a 3-2 win, based on Solihull winning only one of their last six away games, whilst Celtic have won their last three home matches.

Solihull?s top scorer so far this season is Darren Middleton, with nine goals this campaign. His closest rival, Daniel Davidson, is only a goal behind on eight. On average, Moors score a goal per game away from home (1.1 overall), and concede 1.9 goals per game away from home (1.8 overall). The average time of their first goal is 57 minutes, whilst they concede on average in the 27th minute. Solihull are particular vulnerable in the opening half hour, where they have conceded twenty-five of their sixty-three goals, whilst their most prolific period is the last ten minutes, when they have scored seventeen of their thirty-eight goals. The Moors have kept six clean sheets on their travels and ten overall, and apart from a couple of aberrations (a 6-1 loss away at Kettering and a 5-1 loss at Barrow) they generally only concede one or two goals away from home.

Solihull Moors do not have any suspension worries, and appear to have a largely injury free squad to choose from. In their last match, the 0-0 home draw with Redditch, Solihull lined up as:
1. Daniel Crane
2. Philip Midworth
3. Tim Gould
4. Lee Collins
5. Theo Streete
6. Carl Motteram
7. Andy Ducros
8. Darren Middleton
9. Daniel Davidson
10. Dale Anderson
11. Junior English

Celtic will be checking the fitness of Lee Ellington, Ashley Woolliscroft and Matty Barlow ahead of the match, with only the latter playing any part in Celtic?s 2-0 loss away at Tamworth. In that match, Celtic lined up as:
1. Paddy Gamble
2. Simon Garner
3. Andy Smart
4. Steve Payne
5. Terry Barwick
6. Paul Sykes
7. Steve Torpey
8. Ashley Winn
9. Chris Hall
10. James Dean
11. Alex Meechan

Celtic are now only six points clear of Southport, but the Sandgrounders have two games in hand on Celtic, with a similar goal difference, so a win on Saturday is vital if Celtic are to maintain their play off push. With Kettering opening up a ten point gap and having two games in hand on the chasing pack, the title looks an unreasonable target, but finishing in the play offs is a must given our current position. Solihull are beatable, but they have to be beaten.

Other games of interest on Saturday are:
Telford are hosting in form Barrow; Kettering have their longest away trip as they head up to Blyth; Nuneaton are away at Gainsborough; Harrogate are away at Redditch, who have won their last six consecutive home games; Southport have a visit by Celtic?s next opponents after Solihull, Boston; whilst Burscough don?t play until Tuesday. Barrow are unbeaten in their last six away matches, and have a really good chance of pegging Telford back, which in turn gives Celtic another chance at the coveted second spot.