Match Preview :- FC United Of Manchester - Tuesday November 24th, 2015 (19:45:00)

Tuesday night sees Celtic make their first ever trip to FC United of Manchester's new ground in the Manchester Cup. There is reduced entry for this game, with adults at £7, Concessions at £4 and £2 for the under18s. FC United are currently in the bottom three, on fifteen points in twentieth, nine places and nine points behind Celtic. There will be a match centre for this game.

Celtic got through to this round by beating Abbey Hey away 4-1, at the start of October, with Darius Osei grabbing all four goals. FC United got through on penalties at home to Glossop North End after the game finished 2-2. In the event of a draw after 90 minutes, there is no replay or extra time, but instead the game is decided on penalties.

FC United had a good spell at the end of August, start of September that saw them rise into the top ten in the table, with an unbeaten spell that took in four wins and a draw. They beat Brackley, Hednesford, Lowestoft and Corby drawing with Curzon Ashton. Their only two clean sheets came in these matches, at home to Corby finishing 1-0 and away at Hednesford, finishing 3-0. Since the Corby game, FC United failed to score in the next four matches and were beaten in their next seven matches, seeing them plummet down the league into the bottom three, though they have drawn their last match 2-2 away at Nuneaton. They did better in the FA Cup, easing past Witton, then getting past Buxton at the second attempt, and then beating Sporting Khalsa before eventually losing at home to Chesterfield.

Tom Greaves and Sam Madeley are their top scorers this season with five apiece, and they score an average of 1.2 goals per game (1.4 at home) whilst conceding 1.8 goals per game (1.9 at home). They've only failed to score once at home, against Worcester.

We've already played FC United once this season, at home in the league, with a Bohan Dixon penalty enough to seal the win. Previous meetings have largely been friendlies, five in all, of which FC United won two, and Celtic one. Our only previous competitive meeting was in the FA Cup, back in 2009, when we drew 3-3 at Bury's ground (where FC used to play), before losing 1-0 at home.

In FC United's last game, the 2-2 away draw at Nuneaton, they lined up as:
1. Dave Carnell
2. Adam Thurston
3. Liam Brownhill
4. Sam Sheridan
5. Dean Stott
6. Luke Ashworth
7. Rory Fallon
8. Harry Winter
9. Tom Greaves
10. George Thomson
11. Sam Madeley

In Celtic's last match, the 3-2 away win at Brackley, we lined up as:
1. Tony McMillan
2. Oliver Crowley
3. Aidan Chippendale
4. Matty Hughes
5. Jack Higgins
6. Aaron Chalmers
7. Bohan Dixon
8. Adam Farrell
9. Chris Simm
10. Alex Johnson
11. Alex Mudimu

It's unlikely that Celtic will start with the same squad, and it should be a return for Ben McKenna, and perhaps even John Shaw. Danny Wisdom is still unlikely.

Directions
Distance: 9
Time: 23 minutes

Leave the M60 at junction 22.
At the end of the slip-road, go straight on to Hollingwood Avenue (A6104).
At the Greengate roundabout take the first exit onto Lightbowne Road (B6393).
After half a mile, Broadhurst Park is on your left.