On Saturday, Celtic make the short jaunt down the M56 to Ellesmere Port to face Vauxhall Motors in what will probably be our last trip to Rivacre Park. Vauxhall are currently fourteenth on thirty-nine points, six places and eleven points ahead of Celtic. There will be a match centre for this game.
Vauxhall have recently announced their resignation from the league, and their manager has left to join Chester City as an assistant to former Celtic manager, Steve Burr. This did not stop them winning their last game 1-0 away at Leamington FC. This ended a run of four games without a win. Their last home game was back in mid-February when they lost 4-2 to Telford, and their last home win was the game before when they beat Histon 4-0.
Celtic's last visit to Rivacre Park was in March last season in a game that finished 0-0, after Vauxhall had beaten Celtic earlier 1-0 back at Bower Fold. This season, we have played them twice, both times at Bower Fold, and both games finished with a Celtic victory, 3-2 in the league and 3-0 in the FA Trophy in October and November respectively. In our last thirteen visits in all competitions, Celtic have won five, drawn four and lost four, so we have a reasonable record at their ground, however, our last win there was back in April 2011, when we won 3-0 in the Trophy, having won earlier in the season there, 3-1 in November 2010 in the league.
Vauxhall's top scorer is the loan player Steve Tames who has scored nine this season, including the goal that won the game at Leamington on Tuesday night. His closest rival is former Celtic striker, Lloyd Ellams who has four. At home, they score an average of 1.4 goals per game, and concede 1.5 goals per game. The have scored thirty-six goals this season, which buts them fifth bottom in the attacking stakes. With fifty-three goals conceded, they are sixth bottom in the defensive stakes; that's the table Celtic are bottom of with sixty-seven conceded goals. They have kept four clean sheets at home, and three on the road, and failed to score in four home games, twelve over all.
Anthony Wright and Gary Martindale have taken over the running of the club. Currently they have no suspensions, and lined up in their last game, the 1-0 away win at Leamington as:
1. Zac Jones
2. Steve Wainwright
3. Louis Barnes
4. Tom Hannigan
5. Andy Nichols
6. Danny Fearnehough
7. Tom Rutter
8. Karl Clair
9. Steve Tames
10. Lloyd Ellams
11. Jordan Brierley
Celtic may be able to welcome back Obi Anorou who has missed the last few games with a hip injury and Lewis Hatch who has been missing through a hip problem. Conal Platt (ankle) and Callum Warburton are Celtic's long term injuries. In our last game, the 2-0 home defeat to Telford United, Celtic lined up as:
1. Danny East
2. Kelvin Bleau
3. Andy McWilliams
4. Danny Rowe
5. Matt Regan
6. Josh Green
7. Paul Ennis
8. Kristian Platt
9. Jack Ryan
10. Sean McConville
11. Ryan Crossdale
This is Celtic's best chance in a while to get back to winning ways and restore some confidence, but Rivacre Park has been the scene of many a strange game, so any kind of prediction ahead of time is impossible, but a win could lift us above Histon and Gloucester, and back out of the bottom three.
Other games this Saturday:
AFC Telford (65pts 2nd) v Histon (29pts 18th)
Boston United (53pts 7th) v Oxford City (22pts 21st)
Bradford Park Avenue (39pts 13th) v Harrogate Town (56pts 3rd)
Colwyn Bay (48pts 9th) v Hednesford Town (56pts 4th)
Gainsborough Trinity (37pts 17th) v Gloucester City (28pts 19th)
Leamington FC (27pts 16th) v Barrow (46pts 11th)
North Ferriby United (66pts 1st) v Worcester City (38pts 15th)
Solihull Moors (54pts 6th) v Altrincham (54pts 5th)
Stockport County (41pts 12th) v Guiseley (48pts 10th)
Workington (21pts 22nd) v Brackley Town (53pts 8th)
