On Saturday, Celtic host their final home match of the season when Kidsgrove Athletic come visiting. Kidsgrove are currently eighteenth in the league on thirty-nine points, eleven points and six below Celtic. Kick off 3pm.

Kidsgrove looked to be the team to beat at season’s start. Seven wins on the trot put them firmly top. Since then, though, they have won three games. They did rally a little in November, but since the start of 2024, they have lost fourteen, drawn four and won just once, beating Clitheroe on April first in Kidsgrove. Their last away win was in November, when they beat Trafford. That is their only away win since the end of August. Needless to say, such dreadful form has seen them slide down the table on rails, but they are mathematically safe thanks to Hednesford losing three of their last four. Kidsgrove are now the proud owners of the worst home defeat this season (unless something changes on the last day) when they lost 5-0 to Leek on New Year’s Day.

Only Northwich have conceded more goals than Kidsgrove, and they have the second worst defence in the league, keeping only one clean sheet on their travels, a goalless draw at Hanley Town back in December, conceding in their last nine away games since. On average their seventy-two conceded goals (thirty-seven away) were conceded at a rate of two goals a game (2.1 away). They have failed to score in nine games in total, five away, the last time a 5-0 away defeat to Liverpool. On average they scored their fifty-five goals (twenty-six away) at a rate of 1.5 goals per game (1.4 away). Kidsgrove’s top scorers are Aaron Bott and Joe Woolley, who are both on seven. Mason fawns is close, on five.

We’ve only met Kidsgrove once, earlier in the season, when we drew 2-2, after Connor O’Grady opened the scoring with an own goal then closed the scoring with a stoppage time equaliser. A late fawns penalty looked to have given Kidsgrove all three points, when Jack Irlam had drawn Celtic level midway through the second half.

In Kidsgrove’s last match, the 3-0 home defeat to Widnes, Kidsgrove lined up as:
1. Kieran Harrison
2. Jack Marrow
3. Kyle Stubbs
4. Jack Bromfield
5. Harvey Washington
6. Ross Davidson
7. Tyrone Cadeau
8. Ernest Ofosu
9. Aaron Bott
10. Kieran Brown
11. Lewis Bergin

In Celtic’s last match, the 2-0 away defeat by Prescott, Celtic lined up as:
1. Luke Hewitson
2. Pawel Zuk
3. Cole Lonsdale
4. Max Leonard
5. Connor O’Grady
6. Jack Tinning
7. Brad Byrne
8. Jordan Butterworth
9. Darius Osei
10. Joe Edwards
11. Joe Robbins

Celtic could, with a decent win and loss for Chasetown (away at Newcastle), finish eleventh. This is the highest we could finish, and we can finish no lower.