After the heroic efforts shown by Celtic in the FA Trophy, Celtic take a brief break with a return to league action on Saturday when we travel across Manchester to face Radcliffe. Radcliffe are currently 15th on 21 points, eight places and four points behind Celtic. Kick-off is 3pm at the Neuven Stadium. 

Radcliffe had a poor start to the season with two wins in their opening thirteen games. Both of the wins were at home, beating Witton in August and Nantwich in September. 

Their first away victory came more recently, in October, when they beat Hyde 3-1. They followed this up with back-to-back wins, beating Lancaster (2-0) and Mickleover (3-1) at home, with a 2-1 away win over Basford in between. 

Their most recent league game saw them lose 3-1 away at Ashton. 

Their most recent game was in the FA Trophy, brushing past Nuneaton Borough 2-0 at home after two second half goals. 

In all competitions they have lost just twice in their last six matches, as well as losing to Ashton, they also lost away at Avro in the Manchester Premier Cup.

Last season, Radcliffe won three and drew one of their nine matches, leaving them midtable, one place higher than the first curtailed season, when they finished sixteenth. 

Their top scorer so far this season is Bobby Grant with 10 which equals half of their goal tally The former Football League midfielder is eight goals clear of his nearest rival Kole Hall on two. 

On average, at home, they scorer 1.4 goals per game (1.2 overall), whilst conceding 1.4 goals per game (1.6 overall). They have failed to score three times at home, most recently to Matlock in September and have scored in their last 10games (all competitions). They have kept two clean sheets at home, most recently in October against Morpeth.

Aside from the five friendlies, we’ve met Radcliffe seven times, the most recent meetings were in the first curtailed season when Radcliffe won both games: 3-1 at Bower Fold and 1-0 in Radcliffe. 

The season before, they also knocked us out of the FA Cup. Our last win over them was a 3-1 home win in the 2016 Manchester Cup, when we won 3-1, whilst our last away win was in 2001 when we beat them 2-0 in the League Cup. In the last thirty years, we have not beaten them in the league, having met four times.

In their last outing, the 2-0 home win over Nuneaton Borough in the FA Trophy, Radcliffe lined up as:
1. Cam Belford
2. Matthew Crothers
3. Raheem Hanley
4. Olly Thornley
5. Jo Cummings
6. Simon Lenighan
7. Chris Taylor
8. Jack Baxter
9. Kevin Spinelli
10. Bobby Grant
11. Jean-Louis Akpa-Akpro

Celtic’s last match was the away win over Bootle in the FA Trophy which finished 3-3 (3-5 on penalties) in which we lined up as:
1. Will Huffer
2. Josh Dawodu
3. Stephen Brogan
4. Sam Wedgbury
5. Connor O’Grady
6. Keenan Quansah
7. Jake Burton
8. Charley Doyle
9. Scott Bakkor
10. Hayden Campbell
11. Justin Johnson

Radcliffe’s results have picked up in recent weeks and they will be a handful. They have signed former England Under 16s and 17s midfielder, Callum Gribbin, who lists Barrow, Manchester United and Sheffield United on his resume.