Match Preview :- Lowestoft Town - Saturday February 28th, 2015 (15:00:00)

On Saturday, Celtic under take our longest journey as we travel to Lowestoft Town. Lowestoft are currently fourteenth in the league on thirty-eight points, nine points and six places ahead of twentieth placed Celtic. There should be a match centre for this game.

Lowestoft are doing okay at home, and have only lost three times, and drawn four, winning eight games. Their half time result at home is a good indicator of the full time result, as the two mainly match. Away from home they have picked up one win at Brackley and five draws, with eleven losses. In those five draws away from home, they have played four of those teams at home this season and beaten all four at their place. The fifth draw was us, a 1-1 result.

Lowestoft's top scorer is Jack Ainsley who has eight goals, mostly scored at home, while his closest rival is Jake Reed. They score an average of a goal and a half at home, whilst conceding a goal per game. They have failed to score in just three home matches, and kept five clean sheets. Only Brackley, Gloucester and Harrogate shut out Lowestoft at home, with two of the games finishing in Lowestoft losses and the Harrogate game finishing in a goalless draw.

Lowestoft are unbeaten in the last five home games, whilst Celtic have lost their last two away games, but won their previous three, so on paper, Lowestoft have the edge. Celtic are now fighting for survival, and this needs to translate into performances on the pitch. This is the first time Celtic have gone to Lowestoft, and we need to come away with three points. Although we're only a point behind Bradford (and level on points with Colwyn Bay), we are four points behind Leamington in eighteenth, five behind Gainsborough and six behind Gloucester, so there is a gap opening up, and we have all played the same games (apart from Bradford who have three games in hand).

Lowestoft will be without Lee Smith, who is suspended, whilst striker Danny Crow and defender Joe Marsden are the main doubts through injury. In their last match, the 1-1 away draw at Bradford, Lowestoft lined up as:
1. Ashlee Jones
2. Jack Ainsley
3. Omar Sowunmi
4. Sam Gaughran
5. Adam Smith
6. Dean Mason
7. Andrew Fisk
8. Rossi Jarvis
9. Rob Eagle
10. Jake Reed
11. Shaun Bammant

Celtic had no game on Saturday, which hopefully helped Stefan Galinski and Aidan Chippendale back to full fitness after they were pulled off in the first half of Celtic's last game, the 5-1 home defeat to Brackley. Also back should be new dad, Lewis King. In that game, Celtic lined up as:
1. Olly Martin
2. Olly Crowley
3. Nathan Heath
4. Matty Hughes
5. Stefan Galinski
6. Michael Potts
7. Ben McKenna
8. Scott Kerr
9. Jamie Allen
10. Paul Ennis
11. Aidan Chippendale

Celtic are rapidly running out of time. A win at Lowestoft is now vital. Another result like the Brackley game is no longer an option. With a full schedule at the weekend (Gloucester v Oxford is on Sunday), Celtic will be looking to the Colwyn Bay v Leamington game as well as the Gainsborough Hyde result. We cannot rely on other teams just handing us survival, we need to earn it.

Other games this weekend:
AFC Fylde (62pts 2nd) v Tamworth (58pts 4th)
Barrow (68pts 1st) v North Ferriby United (42pts 12th)
Boston United (48pts 6th) v Harrogate Town (40pts 13th)
Brackley Town (36pts 15th) v Stockport County (46pts 10th)
Bradford Park Avenue (30pts 19th) v Hednesford Town (56pts 3rd)
Chorley (48pts 7th) v Worcester City (44pts 11th)
Colwyn Bay (29pts 21st) v Leamington FC (33pts 18th)
Gainsborough Trinity (34pts 17th) v Hyde (13pts 22nd)
Solihull Moors (46pts 9th) v Guiseley (51pts 5th)
Gloucester City (35pts 16th) v Oxford City (47pts 8th)

Directions
Distance: 215
Time: 4 hours and 30 minutes

Take the Woodhead Pass (A628) for 14 miles to the Flouch Roundabout and turn right (exit 3 of 4) onto the A616.
Stay on the A616 for 11 miles to the M1 and join southbound at junction 35a.
Stay on the M1 for 10 miles to junction 38 (M18) and join the M18 towards Hull.
After nine miles leave the M18 at junction 2 and join the A1(M) heading south.
Stay on the A1(M) for 33 miles to A46/A17 exit.
At the roundabout at the end of the slip road turn right (3 of 4) onto the A17.
Stay on the A17 for sixty miles to A47 roundabout.
Continue straight across (exit 2 of 4) onto the A47.
After another 47 miles and several roundabouts, take the A146 ramp signposted for Lowestoft.
At the end of the slip road, turn right onto the A146.
Stay on the A146 for a further 23 miles (it merges with the A143 for a bit) to a roundabout with the A1117 - take the first exit (1 of 3) onto the A1117 (Saltwater Way).
After a mile, at the roundabout with the A1144, continue straight across (3 of 5) onto the A1144.
After half a mile, at the roundabout, go straight across (sign posted town centre) and take the immediate right onto Minders Road.
At the mini roundabout, bear left (1 of 3) onto Love Road, the club is a short way up on the left.