Saturday will see Celtic travel to Alfreton for our Conference North clash (kick off 3pm). Alfreton are currently fourteenth in the league on sixteen points, nine points and ten places behind Celtic. There will be a live match centre for this match.
Alfreton have won twice at home (Hyde and Burscough) and once away (Southport), but are this seasons? master drawers with seven (equal with King?s Lynn, ironically, the two drew when they played each other). They have lost just three times this season, Gateshead away, and Droylsden and Gainsborough Trinity at home.
They have scored sixteen goals this season, just over half of which came in the first half, ten of which came at home. They have conceded nineteen goals this season, only five of which came in the first half, and eleven of which came at home. Alfreton?s top scorer this season is Leo Fortune-West with five goals; Paul Clayton is his closest rival for top scorer on four. Alfreton score an average of 1.4 goals per game at home (1.2 overall), and concede 1.6 (1.4 overall). They have kept four clean sheets (two at home), and failed to score in three games (once at home, against Workington). Their best result so far this season has been a 2-0 home win over Burscough, whilst their heaviest defeat was a 4-1 home loss to Gainsborough Trinity, in their last league game.
In our last ten meetings with Alfreton, we have beaten them in the last five, home and away. Our last two visits being a 4-3 win last season, and a 2-1 win the season before. Alfreton last beat us in March 2005, after earlier beating us at home in that season. There?s only been one draw between the two sides, a 0-0 in October 2005 at Alfreton. In the last five games, we have scored fourteen, and Alfreton seven. With Celtic having won five of our last six away games, and Alfreton having won one of their last six home games, the automated prediction algorithm has gone for a 3-2 win to Celtic.
Alfreton are through to the first round of the FA cup having seen off Shepshed and Retford, and will now face Bury Town at the Impact arena for a place in the second round.
Alfreton will probably be without Paul Ellender and Simon Marples for the clash on Saturday, with both out with injuries. And though both Kris Bowler and Thomas Curtis were dismissed in Alfreton?s last league clash, the 4-1 defeat at home by Gainsborough, the suspensions do not kick in until the 4th of November. Kris Bowler, however, will be suspended for a previous yellow card, and will be missing. In their last match, the 3-1 away win over Retford United, Alfreton lined up as:
1. Tom Evans
2. Matt Wilson
3. Anton Brown
4. Tony Butler
5. Martin McIntosh
6. Danny Mayman
7. Ben Muirhead
8. Kris Bowler
9. Paul Clayton
10. Leo Fortune-West
11. Josh Law
Celtic will be without Paul Sykes through injury, with Chris Williams and Nathan Joynes missing from the 2-0 win over Stafford on Saturday though niggling injuries, a fitness test will have to be performed on both. Matty Barlow hobbled off the pitch and will also receive treatment this week. Ashley Woolliscroft will be serving the last of his three match ban. In our last match, the 2-0 home win over Stafford, Celtic lined up as:
1. Paul Phillips
2. Richard Battersby
3. Rhys Meynell
4. Tom Sharpe
5. Terry Barwick
6. Andy Smart
7. Steve Torpey
8. Keith Briggs
9. Lee Ellington
10. Matty Barlow
11. Nicky Platt
If Celtic can continue their stunning away form this season, there is a chance of going third, should Harrogate Town fail to overcome Burscough (at Burscough) and get to within striking distance of Tamworth and Southport should either fail to overcome Gainsborough and Workington respectively. With Hinckley, Telford, Farsley and Stafford all queuing up behind Celtic to take away our top five position, a win would also keep those teams behind us.
Other games happening on Saturday:
AFC Telford United v Hucknall Town
Burscough v Harrogate Town
Droylsden v Blyth Spartans
Farsley Celtic v Vauxhall Motors
Fleetwood Town v Hinckley United
Hyde United v Gateshead
King?s Lynn v Solihull Moors
Southport v Workington
Stafford Rangers v Redditch United
Tamworth v Gainsborough Trinity
