On Saturday, Celtic travel to Barnton to face 1874 Northwich. Northwich are currently eighteenth in the league on fifteen points, fourteen points and fourteen places behind Celtic, with a game in hand. Kick-off 3pm.

It took until September for Northwich to win a match (beating Newcastle 1-0 in Newcastle), losing three and drawing two of their opening five, and it took until October to win a home match, beating Vauxhall 2-0. They have won only twice at home, the other home win coming at the end of October when they beat Widnes 1-0. Since that win over Widnes, Northwich have lost five and drawn one of their last six, their most recent match a 1-1 away draw at Hednesford. Avro last played them at home, beating them 2-1. With ten losses, only bottom club Hednesford have lost more, though Northwich have two games in hand on Hednesford, giving Northwich the worst loss to match ratio in the league. Losing 6-2 at home to Kidsgrove still stands as the league’s worst home defeat this season.

In their last five matches, they have scored twice, once at home and once away. Their top scorers are Fenton Green and Lucas Weir, with three apiece, two thirds of all fifteen goals scored by Northwich this season. They have scored eight of them at home at a rate of a goal per game (0.9 overall). Thirty-three goals have gone in the other end, at a rate of two per game, with seventeen at home (at a rate of 2.1 per game) giving them the leakiest home defence in the league. They are tighter defensively away from home, having the third worst defence overall behind Hednesford and Witton. They have kept two clean sheets at home, the last being in October when they beat Widnes 1-0 (the other also being a win beating Vauxhall). Northwich have also failed to score twice at home, the last being a 4-0 defeat to Bootle.

We’ve already played Northwich this season, in a goalless draw at Bower Fold.

In Northwich’s last match, the 1-1 away draw to Hednesford, Northwich lined up as:
1. Ellis Allen
2. Jack Marrow
3. Kacper Mialkowski
4. Matthew Fenton
5. Mark Jones
6. Chris McCann
7. Jamal Crawford
8. Matthew Woolley
9. Maxwell Chimenes
10. Lucas Weir
11. Jamie Nicholson

In Celtic’s last league match, the 1-1 home draw against Prescot Cables, Celtic lined up as:
1. Luke Hewitson
2. Pawel Zuk
3. Cole Lonsdale
4. Greg Wilkinson
5. Max Leonard
6. Scott Wara
7. Brad Byrne
8. Jack Irlam
9. Darius Osei
10. Jordan Burton
11. Darius Palma

Celtic are still very much in touch with top spot. Leek (at home to Chasetown) are three points ahead, Prescot (Away at Avro) two and Runcorn (at home to Liverpool) one. Three teams are within three points, should we lose, with Avro one point behind and Clitheroe (at home to Trafford) and Kidsgrove (away at Hanley) two. A loss could see us drop to seventh.

Aaron Dwyer will be serving the last of his three-match ban, and is unavailable, whilst Darius Osei and Greg Wilkinson will both be assessed. Connor O’Grady came through a friendly on Monday and is hopefully fit.