On Saturday, Celtic are back in league action against Alfreton Town. Kick off 3pm. Alfreton are currently in eighth position in the table on sixteen points, two places and one point above Celtic. There will be a match centre for this game.
After a slow start to the season that saw Alfreton go six games without a win, they started picking up wins at home to Gainsborough Trinity when they one 1-0, following this up with three more wins on the bounce, beating Chorley away (2-1), and then Hednesford (4-0) and Worcester (2-1) at home. Their most recent game was a 1-0 loss at Stockport. Despite starting slowly, they have only lost once at home this season, when Lowestoft Town beat them 1-0 on Alfreton's opening home game of the season. They have also drawn at home to Curzon and Brackley.
Sam Jones and Jordan Robertson are tied at the top of Alfreton's scorers' table so far this season, with three goals apiece. There have, however, been nine different scorers. On average, they are scoring 1.7 goals per game at home, and conceding 0.8, with two clean sheets, and only failing to score once. They are most dangerous in the second half, with the eighty minute mark their most prolific period, with a quarter of their sixteen goals scored in this five minute spell. Just before half time is their most vulnerable period, with three of their twelve conceded goals coming in this spell.
In the last season we met (2010/11), Alfreton did the double over us, beating us 5-3 at the Impact Arena, with Callum Warburton, Stephen Brogan and Craig Davies the scorers helping us twice take the lead. At home, they won 2-1, with Phil Marsh scoring for the Celts. We also met in the FA Cup that season, with Celtic being held to a 1-1 draw at home (Lee Elam scoring), and then going on to record an extra time 2-1 win in the replay, Kristian Platt's opener cancelled out with ten minutes to go, and then Lloyd Ellams back post header in the second period of extra time proving enough to go through to the next round. In eight league visits, we have won three and lost four. Our most recent win in the league was in 2009 when we won 5-3, and never looked like losing.
Alfreton look to have a full squad to choose from ahead of the game. In their last match, the 3-2 away win in the FA Cup over Tamworth, they lined up as:
1. Matt Duke
2. Cliff Moyo
3. Tom Allan
4. Todd Jordan
5. Sam Berry
6. Niall Heaton
7. Ryan Wilson
8. Joe Leesley
9. Sam Jones
10. Joe Ironside
11. Jordan Robertson
Celtic will still be without Chris Simm, with Danny Wisdom and Alex Mudimu still doubts through injury, though Adam Farrell is back in contention. In our last match, the 3-2 away win over Kendal Town, Celtic lined up as:
1. Tony McMillan
2. Oliver Crowley
3. John Shaw
4. Matty Hughes
5. Jack Higgins
6. Aaron Chalmers
7. Ben McKenna
8. Bohan Dixon
9. Alex Johnson
10. Steve Tames
11. Aidan Chippendale
There is a full program on this weekend. The other games are:
AFC Fylde (23pts 2nd) v AFC Telford United (5pts 22nd)
Bradford Park Avenue (8pts 20th) v Brackley Town (10pts 18th)
Chorley (16pts 9th) v Solihull Moors (26pts 1st)
Curzon Ashton (8pts 2st) v Tamworth (19pts 5th)
Gainsborough Trinity (15pts 11th) v Stockport County (19pts 6th)
Gloucester City (11pts 17th) v Harrogate Town (20pts 4th)
Hednesford Town (13pts 13th) v Lowestoft Town (12pts 15th)
North Ferriby United (16pts 7th) v Corby Town (11pts 16th)
Nuneaton Town (21pts 3rd) v Boston United (13pts 14th)
