On Saturday, Celtic are back on the road, this time to face Clitheroe. Clitheroe are currently seventeenth on thirty-six points, eleven places and ten points behind Celtic with two games in hand. Kick-off 3pm.

Clitheroe are hovering just above the drop zone and cannot afford to drop any points in case they get dragged into a relegation battle. They started reasonably well, losing only twice in their opening ten games, with four wins and four draws lifting them into the early play-off spots. Since the end of October, they have won six more times, but have lost ten, and drawn twice, sending them sliding down the table. They are a home team, winning three and drawing one from their thirteen away games so far this season. At home, though they have drawn five times, they have only lost three, most recently a 4-2 defeat to Congleton. Their last home win was Boxing Day when they beat Atherton 2-1, and have also lost at home to Mossley, getting a 1-1 draw against Hednesford in their only other home game since Christmas. Clitheroe hold this season’s league record for the highest away defeat, losing 8-1 to Hednesford.

Vernon Perry holds their top league goal scorer record with twelve, Sefton Gonzales his closest rival on seven, though Leon Creech has scored five in their last nine matches and will be one to watch. The average goals and average conceded also points to their dichotomy of home and away. On average they score 2.3 goals per home game and 1.2 per away, whilst conceding an average of 1.5 at home and 2.5 away, They have failed to score in two home games this season, most recently at the start of January when they lost 1-0 to Mossley, but have only kept one clean sheet at home, a goalless draw at the start of the season to Wythenshawe Town. With thirty-four home goals scored, Clitheroe have the best home attack in the league. Couple this with twenty-nine away goals for Celtic, the third highest in the league, and the game will either be a goalless draw or a corker.

Have played Clitheroe already this season, ending their good run and the first loss in their slide down the table, when we beat them at Bower Fold 1-0 thanks to a late Joe Duckworth goal, in Celtic’s first game under Jon Macken. Our only league visit in the last forty years came last season, when Celtic won 1-0, with Jordan Burton the scorer.

In Clitheroe’s last match, the 4-2 home defeat by Congleton, Clitheroe lined up as:
1. Liam Isherwood
2. Jacob Hanson
3. Dylan Dwyer
4. Ross Dent
5. Sam Olawumi
6. Jack McEvilly
7. Leon Creech
8. Emerich Poilly
9. Ntumba Massanka
10. Vernon Parney
11. Jack Massey

In Celtic’s last match the 1-0 home defeat by Widnes, Celtic lined up as:
1. Charlie Monks
2. Jordan Butteworth
3. Kyle Brownhill
4. Brandon Newell
5. Courtney Meppen-Walters
6. Jack Tinning
7. Max Leonard
8. Liam Tongue
9. Lewis Rawsthorn
10. Joe Duckworth
11. Jack Irlam

Jack Tinning will be missing through suspension, while Benni Smales-Braithwaite will likely be out after limping off Trafford’s treacherous pitch. A win for Celtic could see us return to the top five if Chasetown lose at home to Kidsgrove. Hednesford are four points ahead, and away at Hanley, so we could get within a point of them. In the other direction, Runcorn (at home to Vauxhall) and Nantwich (away at Stafford) are only a point behind, so a loss could see us drop to eighth.