Saturday will hopefully see us travel into Yorkshire to take on Bradford?s second team, Park Avenue. This is a real basement battle with both sides needing the win in order to close the gap on those just outside the relegation zone.

A win would see the gap to Ashton possibly reduced to just four points and that to Runcorn down to eight. With Moor Green going to Ashton in another basement battle on Saturday, the gap to safety could well be increased. Runcorn are at home to Alfreton, which hopefully will result in Runcorn getting no further away, but what ever the results of these two games, the pool of possible relegation candidates is getting smaller.

The cut off point in the league could possibly be as low as 34 points at the moment, but Celtic still need to be aiming for the 42 points that traditionally guarantees safety.

Bradford have never really got out of the relegation zone, hovering about the bottom of the league, and like our selves have won three games. One of these winning games was the last game for Dave Miller when they came to Bower Fold and beat us 4-1. Recently, both home and away, Bradford have not won since the start of December, losing their last four matches which is the leagues current longest losing streak. Lancaster was their last win, and that, like the win against us, was away from home. At home, all season, they?ve had one win and two draws.

Their top scorer is Steve Oleksewycz, with five goals, and Dan Sheriffe just behind on four goals. They?ve yet to score in the opening ten minutes, and grab most of their goals just after the hour. At home they score 1.2 goals per game, and concede 1.9.

Stalybridge won their last away game at Vauxhall Motors. Like that game, this game is a must win and a can win. Nathan Wharton and Andy Hayward are currently the top scorers with five apiece, with Wharton scoring both goals in our last win. Celtic have conceded many more than Bradford this season, with the half hour and last ten minutes being especially leaky, letting in twenty goals in these periods. Scoring wise, we?ve scored more in the second half than the first, with the hour mark being one of the most profitable and stoppage time coming a close second. Away from home, we score 0.8 goals per game, and concede 1.7 ? which is why we haven?t won many.

Dan Sheriffe has been injured for a number of weeks now, and is unlikely to feature, and Bradford?s last team (away at Moor Green) was:
1. Andrew Britton
2. Andy Quinn
3. Gareth Clayton
4. Danny Walsh
5 Ryan Crossley
6. Mike Naylor
7. Jonathon Holland
8. Tony Lennon
9. Jason Wray
10. Steve Oleksewycz
11. Craig Smith

Celtic?s injury worries appear to be coming to an end, with only Danny Caldecott and Chris Denham still on the physio?s couch. Phil Eastwood and Craig Dootson both played against Hinckley, the former as a substitute. Dean Calcutt and Kev Parr also could be in contention.

Celtic?s last team was:
1. Craig Dootson
2. Dave German
3. Tony Whealing
4. Lincoln Adams
5. Paul Sykes
6. Terry Bowker
7. Barrie Keeling
8. Scott Bonsall
9. Andy Hayward
10. Phil Hadland
11. Nathan Wharton

How the team will line up with the injury crisis abating is a tough choice for the manager. Whatever is chosen, Celtic need to treat this game as a cup final, for the next game is a tougher, but still winnable, home match against Gainsborough Trinity mid-week and a win would be just the confidence booster the team needs to win two on the trot. Two league wins in a week could put us a mere point off safety, and then next Saturday when we entertain Nuneaton we would know that a win would lift us out off the relegation zone.