On Saturday, Celtic travel to league leaders Lower Breck. Lower Breck are currently top on thirty-three points, five places and eight points ahead of Celtic with a game in hand. Kick-off 3pm. There will be no live match centre for this game.
Breck have more than adapted to life in the Northern Premier since their promotion, and have been in top spot for nearly all of the season. The only loss this season was away at Chasetown, a game they lost 1-0. The only other dropped points have been three draws, all of which came at home to Kidsgrove, Darlaston and Congleton. In terms of home wins, those three draws have meant five teams have won more home games than the Anfield outfit, but without a single loss at home, they have the best record there.
With over 2.5 goals per game, it’s no surprise they top the best attacks table, and with a goal per game conceded, they are second in the defensive equivalent, with only Runcorn conceding fewer goals per game. They’ve scored more away goals than any other team, but are second behind Bury for home goals. Their home defence isn’t the best in the league, conceding eight, with eight teams conceding fewer at home. With nine goals apiece Sam Burns and Alex Cherera give Lower Breck two entries in the top four league goal scorers, with Lewis Buckley on eight, making him joint fifth in the Golden Boot table, breck have three in the top five. Three of their five clean sheets came at home, and they have failed to score in just one game, away, at Chasetown.
We met Lower Breck earlier in the season when they comprehensively dumped uss out of the FA Trophy, with a 3-0 win. Though all three goals were preventable, Breck scored them, with two from Sam Burns and another from Harry McGee.
In Lower Breck’s last match, the 4-1 win away at Nantwich, Lower Breck lined up as:
1. Theo Roberts
2. Michael Fitzgerald
3. Dan Lowey
4. Frazer Cookson
5. Tom Mitchell
6. Connor Millington
7. Alex Cherera
8. Liam Morris
9. Lewis Buckley
10. Sam Burns
11. Jesse Dowling
In Celtic’s last match, the 3-0 home win over Newcastle, Celtic lined up as:
1. Charlie Monks
2. Mike Koral
3. Kyle Brownhill
4. Brandon Newell
5. Jack Byrne
6. Jack Tinning
7. Ellis Horan
8. Liam Tongue
9. Rube Jerome
10. Tunde Owolabi
11. Benni Smales-Braithwaite
If negotiations to extend Tunde Owolabi’s loan, or sign him, have been unsuccessful, Owolabi will have returned to Rylands. Charlie Doyle will be missing through suspension, but otherwise, John has a full squad to choose from.
A win for Celtic could lift us to third, with Avro (at home to Chasetown), Bury (away at Bootle), and Atherton (away at Kidsgrove) all within three points of Celtic. A loss, however, could see us drop two places to eighth, with Chasetown (away at Avro) and Runcorn (away at Wythenshawe) both within three points of us.
