On Saturday, it's Celtic's longest trip as we travel to Lowestoft Town for the league clash (kick off 3pm). Lowestoft are currently nineteenth in the league on twenty-six points, five places and four points behind Celtic having played a game more. There should be a match centre at this match.
It's been a topsy-turvy season for Lowestoft this year, their best period was November, when they went four games unbeaten, two draws and two wins. At home, they're results are better than away, and travel has to be a factor in that. In their last five home games, they have lost one, drawn two and won two, won their last two. The last game they lost at home was Tamworth back in October when they lost 4-0. Since then they have beaten Alfreton and Boston, both good results. They have also drawn with Stockport and Solihull, again, good results.
Only Tamworth and Nuneaton have prevented Lowestoft scoring at home, and in the eleven games they have played at home this season, they have won four, lost four and drawn three. Their top scorer is Jake Reed on thirteen, with the rest of the squad trailing well behind, with four players on three goals, so it looks like he has the Golden Boot sewn up already. They do not score many, having scored thirty-two this season, and only the bottom two teams, Corby and Telford, have worse goal differences. They score an average of 1.6 goals per game at home (1.3 overall) and likewise concede 1.6 goals per game at home (1.9 overall). When they have been winning at home at half time, they have won both of these games, and when losing at half time, they have gone on to lose two and win two. Their most common score-line at half time is a draw, a fifth of all their goals scored have been in the seventieth minute, making this their strongest point, whereas just after both kick offs is their weakest point.
We've only met Lowestoft three times, we beat them 3-1 this season at Bower Fold, with Jake Reed getting a consolation after a Steve Tames brace and a John Shaw header had given Celtic a comfortable three goal lead. Both of the games last season finished 1-1.
Lowestoft have lost both of their last two matches, which were away, the most recent being a 6-1 hammering away at FC United, so they will be smarting in our match. Michael Spillane will be suspended for our match, whilst Adam Fisk had to leave the last match due to a bruised eye that could keep him out of Saturday's match. In the FC United match, Lowestoft lined up as:
1. Mark Smith
2. Rossi Jarvis
3. Harry Barker
4. Jack Ainsley
5. Danny Burns
6. Rob Eagle
7. Harvey Hodd
8. Adam Smith
9. Adam Fisk
10. Ryan Jarvis
11. Shaun Bammant
Celtic haven't won away from home in the league since beating Brackley in November. Bradford, Gloucester and Solihull all beat us. However in our last match, we drew 0-0 away at Curzon Ashton. In that match, we lined up as:
1. Jack Walton
2. Peter Wylie
3. Danny Wisdom
4. Matty Hughes
5. Jack Higgins
6. Aaron Chalmers
7. Bohan Dixon
8. Dale Wright
9. Chris Simm
10. Steve Tames
11. Alex Mudimu
Whilst a win would lift Celtic only one place (depending on Chorley's result against Tamworth), both FC United and Worcester are both within reach of us if they win and we don't.
Other matches this weekend (Gloucester play Sunday):
AFC Telford (23pts 22nd) v AFC Fylde (pts 4th)
Alfreton Town (33pts 11th) v Nuneaton Town (46pts 6th)
Brackley Town (25pts 20th) v Solihull Moors (53pts 1st)
Chorley (32pts 13th) v Tamworth (38pts 7th)
FC United of Manchester (29pts 15th) v Harrogate Town (46pts 5th)
Gainsborough Trinity (34pts 10th) v Bradford Park Avenue (26pts 17th)
Gloucester City (33pts 12th) v Boston United (51pts 3rd)
Hednesford Town (26pts 18th) v Curzon Ashton (35pts 8th)
Worcester City (28pts 16th) v North Ferriby United (52pts 2nd)
