Match Preview :- Farsley Celtic - Saturday March 3rd, 2007 (15:00:00)
Saturday will see Celtic travel into Yorkshire to face the other Celtic for the second time this season (kick off 3pm). Farsley are currently seventh in the league, eleven points and nine places ahead of Stalybridge Celtic. It?s been quite a season for the newly promoted club, sitting just outside the play-off spots, and a win for them on Saturday could propel them into the top five, given favourable results elsewhere.

Farsley have drawn their last two games, both away, with Barrow and Moor Green. Their last home match was a 1-0 win over Gainsborough. Their last defeat at home was at the hands of Nuneaton Borough, at the end of January. The last meeting between the two Celtics ended in Farsley?s favour, when they came to Bower Fold and walked away with three points and two goals from Gareth Grant. They will be looking to take all six points off us this season, but hopefully, Celtic?s improved form of late will get us something out of this, with the automated prediction algorithm suggesting a 2-2 draw. We have won three and drawn one of our last six away matches with Farsley winning four and losing two of their last six home games.

They have kept five clean sheets at home this season, with three of those coming in their last six matches, whilst scoring in eleven. On average (for the season as a whole) though, they score an average of 1.3 goals per game (1.2 overall), whilst conceding a goal per game (1.1 overall). Twenty of their thirty-seven goals have come at home this season, whilst eleven of those thirty-seven goals have come in the first half, meaning that the second half is their most dangerous period, specifically around the half way mark of this half, where they have scored eleven. Their defence has been quite stingy, conceding thirty-three all season, the third best defence in the league, behind fellow Yorkshire sides Harrogate and Scarborough (draw your own conclusions about the league?s Yorkshire set!)

The source of their goals has been mainly Damian Reeves who has fired in an impressive fourteen goals this season, putting him fifth in the league?s goal scorers? chart. Our very own Player of the Month for January, Lee Ellington, is third, behind Gareth Seddon and Terry Fearns (draw your own conclusions about Tameside strikers!). Lee is currently five behind Droylsden?s main penalty taker, and will be looking for a second successive league Golden Boot, hopefully starting Saturday. Simeon Bambrook and Gareth Grant are both behind Reeves in the Farsley Golden Boot chart, with five apiece.

Farsley have already done the double over three teams this season, Worcester, Vauxhall and Hucknall, and must be feeling confident going into the game. They will be without defender and Captain Christopher Stabb for the match though, as he is suspended thanks to a sending off against Vauxhall Motors.

In their last match, the 2-2 draw away at Barrow, Farsley lined up as:
1. Tom Morgan
2. Chris Thackery
3. Martin Pemberton
4. James Knowles
5. Amjad Iqbal
6. Roy Stammer
7. Andy Watson
8. Simeon Bambrook
9. Damien Reeves
10. Gareth Grant
11. Craig Midgley

We will be without Barrie Keeling, who is serving a one match ban for accumulated cautions, but we will welcome back Ashley Winn who has completed his suspension. Also likely to make the starting line up is Simon Bishop, Celtic?s new goalkeeper. Simon has already played for us, in our recent 1-1 draw away at Worcester. Matty Barlow?s initial one month loan will have expired by Saturday, so it is just a question of whether or not we can get it extended.

In our last game, the 3-2 win over Redditch United, we lined up as:
1. Ashley Timms
2. Grant Black
3. Scott Maxfield
4. Barrie Keeling
5. Mike Flynn
6. James Olsen
7. Dominic Krief
8. Matty Barlow
9. Lee Ellington
10. Mark Hume
11. Paul Sykes

Celtic need the win. Gainsborough are away at Nuneaton on Tuesday night and at home to Alfreton on Saturday, and a win for Trinity in either game would put them above Celtic on goal difference, leaving us two places above the drop zone. With Barrow playing Scarborough on Saturday, one of them will be closing the gap, with Barrow also able to overtake us on goal difference should we fail to get anything from our trip to the Throstle?s Nest. Though Leigh cannot over take us, they can narrow the gap with a win over Hucknall (at Hucknall), so it?s vital Celtic get something.
Directions
Distance: 42
Time: 1 hour

Join the M60 towards Oldham, and at Junction 20, join the M62 towards Leeds.
Stay on the M62 until junction 26, the M606 towards Bradford.
Stay on the M606 until the very end, and join the A6177 (Eastbound towards Leeds and Pudsey).
After 3 miles, turn right on the Thornbury roundabout onto the A647 towards Leeds.
Stay on the A647 for two miles across two roundabouts to a third roundabout - go straight across onto the B6157 (Bradford Road).
After a few hundred yards, turn left onto New Street (by the Tradex store).
After 400 yards, turn right by the Nursery school onto Newlands.
The Throstle Nest is at the end of Newlands.