On Saturday, Celtic will travel to Cirencester for their Conference North clash with new boys Gloucester City (Kick Off 3pm). Please note that there is NO Live match centre for this game, but there is a coach. Gloucester have struggled to adapt to the Conference North and lie sixteenth in the table, seven places and six points behind Celtic having played four games more. Like Farsley, they have drawn very few games, with only three draws; however, they have five less wins than Farsley.
Gloucester?s three draws have all come away from home, drawing with Hyde, Vauxhall and Ilkeston. In recent weeks they have won two out of last six, beating Solihull and Farsley, both 1-0. Their last match saw them lose 3-1 away at Fleetwood. Their best result this season has to be the 6-3 win away at Corby, which is the league?s highest scoring match this season. We have met Gloucester once already this season when they visited Bower Fold and lost 4-1 in what was Celtic?s last win. Hopefully that memory can help overturn the automated prediction algorithm?s suggestion of a 3-2 win for Gloucester. Recent form is not on Celtic?s side though, having topped the form table for a long time, we have slumped to third from bottom with two wins in the last ten, whilst Gloucester are two places above us with three wins, giving them a total of twenty-eight percent of their thirty points available, compared to Celtic?s twenty-six percent.
Gloucester?s top scorer this season is Lee Smith on ten goals, twice as many as his nearest rival, Mike Symons on five. On average they score 1.2 goals per game (1.1 at home), whilst conceding 1.6 goals per game (1.7 at home). They have kept nine clean sheets (four at home) and failed to score in nine games (four at home). Gloucester?s most dangerous period is around the hour mark when they have scored eight of their thirty-three goals this season, whilst just after the re-start is their most vulnerable period when they have conceded twelve of their forty-six concession this season.
Gloucester have no suspensions ahead of the match, and appear to be injury free, and have bolstered their squad by signing former Spurs trainee Greg Lake ( a fullback), from Frome. In their last match, the 3-1 away defeat to Fleetwood saw Gloucester line up as:
1. Mike Green
2. Neil Mustoe
3. Jack Harris
4. Marc Richards
5. Lee Molyneaux
6. Matt Rose
7. Lee Smith
8. Tom Webb
9. Jack Pitcher
10. Mike Symons
11. Ben Hunt
Celtic will be without Matty Barlow, who will be serving the second game of his three match ban, whilst Steve Woods?s suspension does not begin until Tuesday when we face Fleetwood. Apart from that, new manager Jim Harvey should have a full squad to choose from. In our last match, the 1-0 home defeat to Farsley, Celtic lined up as:
1. Dave Carnell
2. Richard Battersby
3. Andy Smart
4. Steve Woods
5. Warren Peyton
6. John Hardiker
7. Connor Jennings
8. Keith Briggs
9. Joe O?Neill
10. Jody Banim
11. Michael Carr
Celtic have recently beaten Gloucester, and we need to look to that and grab any kind of win in Cirencester to restore some confidence and get our season back on track. Jim Harvey will now have taken the players in a training session, so hopefully will have a greater influence over the outcome.
Other matches on Saturday:
Alfreton Town (47pts 4th) v Farsley Celtic (31pts 15th)
Droylsden (45pts 5th) v Vauxhall Motors (20pts 22nd)
Eastwood Town (45pts 6th) v Corby Town (38pts 8th)
Gainsborough Trinity (20pts 21st) v Fleetwood Town (66pts 1st)
Harrogate Town (22pts 20th) v AFC Telford United (42pts 7th)
Hinckley United (49pts 3rd) v Blyth Spartans (34pts 11th)
Northwich Victoria (31pts 14th) v Ilkeston Town (36pts 14th)
Redditch United (29pts 18th) v Solihull Moors (29pts 17th)
Southport (60pts 2nd) v Workington (42pts 12th)
Stafford Rangers (32pts 13th) v Hyde United (26pts 19th)
