On Tuesday, Celtic make the long journey to Gainsborough for a 7:45pm kick off. Gainsborough have started this season’s campaign with two wins and two losses, beating both Hyde and Whitby at home, and losing away at Warrington and at home to Witton. Tickets can be purchased through the Gainsborough website or pay on the gate.
Gainsborough are currently twelfth in the table, but have played a game less than those around them, sitting currently 9 places and four points above Celtic. Last season, they stopped with a game in hand on Celtic, above us by one place on goal difference only, both teams with 42 points. Trinity were on the rise, having had a torrid start to last season, winning just twice before Christmas, beating Bamber Bridge and Whitby at the Northolme. Christmas saw a turnaround of fortune for the Lincolnshire outfit, and they went on a run that saw them only lose twice more with 9 wins and 3 draws over this monumental run. Their two losses were both at home to South Shields and Celtic. Trinity went out of the FA Cup away at Mansfield, losing 3-0.
Last season, they scored 24 goals at home from 53 in total, at a rate of 1.5 goals per game (1.7 overall) and failing to score in 5 home match from 7 overall, though they have scored in all three home matches this season. Their top scorers were Gregg Smith and Simon Russell, both with 7. This season, Rod Orlando Young is their danger man, so far scoring 5, including 4 of their 6 goals over Whitby. Defensively, they conceded 23 goals at home from 50 in total, at a rate of 1.4 goals a game (1.6 overall) and keeping 5 clean sheets at home and 2 on the road.
Over the last 32 years, the two teams have met an incredible 54 times, with Celtic making 26 trips to the Northolme. In that time, we have won 8, including our last visit in the season that never was when we won 3-1, despite going down to 10 men, with Patrick Lacey and Jonathan Ustabasi giving Celtic a two goal cushion and Scott Bakkor finishing Trinity off in stoppage time. Gainsborough’s last win over us was just two weeks before our win against them. Two quick fire goals from Gregg Smith and Jordon Odoby-Smith cancelled out Adam O'Reilly's opener.
At Northolme, their last win against us was the season before, when they won 1-0 with a break-away goal against the run of play. That brought their wins over us at Northolme up to 8. We have had 10 draws there, the most recent of which was the last time the two teams met in the Conference North, the game finishing 2-2 with Kieran Dunbar and Fraser Horsfall putting Celtic in front after a world-beating free kick in the opening minutes had given the hosts the lead. Celtic dropped two points after a scrambled equaliser in the last few minutes.
In Trinity’s last match, the 3-1 home defeat against Witton, Gainsborough lined up as:
1. Tom Jackson
2. Matty Dixon
3. Harrison Foulstone
4. Kamarl Grant
5. Simon Ainge
6. Jake Scott
7. Tyler Hamilton
8. AJ Greaves
9. Reco Fyfe
10. Luke Lofts
11. Rod Orlando-Young
Celtic’s last match was the 1-1 away draw with Atherton, in which Celtic lined up as:
1. Tom Stewart
2. Kallum Mantack
3. James Ellison
4. Scott Sephton
5. Stephen O’Halloran
6. Matty Makinson
7. Jonathan Ustabasi
8. Charley Doyle
9. Will Goodwin
10. Callum Harris
11. Nico Evangelinos
Celtic have brought in James Ellison, a fullback from Marine, on loan to help shore up the injury crisis. He join’s Barnsley's Jordan Helliwell covering the fullback roles, although Freddie Sass could return this week. Mike Burke has been self-isolating and Chester loanee Will Goodwin picked up an injury in the draw vs Atherton.
