Match Preview :- Bamber Bridge - Saturday December 1st, 2018 (15:00:00)

On Saturday, Celtic travel to Bamber Bridge (kick off 3pm). Bamber Bridge have had a mixed bag so far this season, unbeaten in their opening seven, but then winning just one in their last eight giving them twenty-two points and leaving them mid-table in fourteenth; four points and five places below Celtic. There will be a match centre and Twitter feed for this game.

Bamber Bridge's last game was a win, beating Buxton 1-0 away, but their last home win was four games ago at the start of October when they beat North Ferriby 3-1. Since then, they have lost 4-0 to Basford, drawn 2-2 with Nantwich and, in their last home match, lost 2-1 to Gainsborough. The Basford game was the end of their unbeaten run at home, whilst the Buxton win was the end of their winless streak away.

Alistair Waddecar is out and away their danger man with ten goals this season, three goals behind league top scorers Nathan Watson of Basford and James Walshaw of Scarborough. His closest rival is Brad Carsley, on four. Bamber Bridge's twenty-nine goals have come from twelve different players, with nineteen at home, a third of which came from their 6-1 win over Stafford. They score at a rate of 2.1 goals per game at home (1.6 overall), whilst conceding their twenty-seven goals (fourteen at home) at a rate of 1.6 goals per game (1.5 overall). They have kept two of their four clean sheets at home, and failed to score in two home games (three overall).

In the last twenty years, we've visited the Ironbridge ground three times (all in the league), winning twice and losing once. Our last win their was in 2001 when we won 2-0 thanks to goals from Tony Sullivan and Dom Crookes. Their last win was in 1998, when they won 2-1. The last meeting between the two sides was earlier this season when we beat them 3-2 in September, inflicting their first defeat of the season.

In their last match, the 1-0 away win over Buxton, Bamber Bridge lined up as:
1. Lloyd Rigby
2. Callum Spooner
3. Adam Dodd
4. Matt Lawlor
5. Kieran Charnock
6. Chris Churchman
7. Alistair Waddecar
8. Danny Forbes
9. Matthew Dudley
10. Darren McKnight
11. Chris Marlow

In the Celtic's last match, the 2-1 home defeat to Workington in the Trophy, Celtic lined up as:
1. Jake Turner
2. Liam Tongue
3. Joshua Solomon-Davies
4. Chris Smalley
5. Danny Brady
6. Michael Clarke
7. Scott Bakkor
8. Glenn Rule
9. Chris Sharp
10. Matthew Wolfenden
11. Greg Wilkinson

A loss could see Celtic drop four places, with Buxton, Hednesford, Whitby and Hyde all within one or two points of us and (except for Whitby) playing bottom half teams. A win could see us rise a place, depending on the Matlock result away at South Shields, and keep in touch with the play-off spots. Celtic should have a full squad to choose from.

Directions
Distance: 48
Time: 45 minutes

From the M60, take Junction 15 onto the M61 North towards Bolton.
Take Junction 9 towards Preston South (M65).
Stay on the M65 to the end.
At the roundabout turn right (exit 1 of 2).
Follow the dual carriageway to another roundabout.
Go straight across (exit 2 of 4) onto London Way.
After about 3/4 of a mile, you will turn right at a third roundabout (exit 3 of 4) onto Brownedge Rd (East) then take first right.
Ground on left at the bottom of the road just past the A6 bridge.