Saturday sees Celtic face another team above us in the table when we travel to the Midlands to face Hinckley United (kick off 3pm). Hinckley are fourth in the table, one place and one point above us in the table. Hinckley have not lost at home this season, and have lost only once on the road (4-2 against Telford). There will, traffic willing, be a Live Match Centre for this game.
Hinckley have won four matches this season, beating Workington and Gateshead at home, Vauxhall and Farsley away. They have a solid defensive record, conceding just one goal at home, and keeping five clean sheets (three at home). This gives them the fourth best defence in the league. Their recent 4-0 win away at Vauxhall has lifted them to fourth in the attacking league (Celtic remain top of this particular table). Their goals this season have come from nine different players, with Andy Hall leading the charge with four goals to his name. Most of their goals have been scored in the first half (eight from fourteen), whilst their conceding is concentrated in the second half (five from eight). The only goal scored against them at home came in stoppage time when Southport grabbed a late equaliser.
We have a good record against Hinckley, and in recent history they have beaten us only once, in their first visit to Bower Fold in 2005. We have won three times at the Marston Stadium, and have never lost there. Our most recent visit in February saw us come away 3-0 winners after previously beating them 2-1 at Bower Fold. Prior to this, we also won our previous two visits, once in the league, and once to knock Hinckley out of the Trophy at the second time of asking.
Hinckley appear to have no injury worries, and no suspension problems. In their last match the 4-0 away demolition of Vauxhall Motors, they lined up as:
1. MacKenzie, Chris
2. Roma, Dominic
3. Franklin, Connor
4. Lavery, Richard
5. Platnauer, Leigh
6. Bonner, Tom
7. Hall, Andy
8. Gooding, Andy
9. Webster, Adam
10. Kelly, Leon
11. Lloyd, Callum
Celtic will be without Terry Barwick, who is serving the second of his three match suspension. Otherwise, Steve Burr has a full squad to choose from. In Celtic?s last match, the 3-1 defeat at home to Harrogate, Celtic lined up as:
1. Paul Phillips
2. Ashley Woolliscroft
3. Rhys Meynell
4. Barrie Keeling
5. Andy Smart
6. Paul Sykes
7. Steve Torpey
8. Keith Briggs
9. Lee Ellington
10. Matty Barlow
11. Chris Williams
The automated prediction algorithm is suggesting a 1-1 draw for this match. In the past two games, Southport and Harrogate clinically punished the few mistakes that the Celtic defence made, leaving the team with an uphill struggle to get something from the game. If Celtic can reduce the mistakes at the back, then we could win this, and leapfrog Hinckley. With Telford away at Gateshead, Tamworth away at Blyth, Harrogate facing the unbeaten King?s Lynn and Southport away at Redditch, this is a good chance to settle into a place in the top five, and keep the gap between ourselves and top close.