Saturday sees Celtic welcome Hucknall Town in the Blue Square North league match (kick off 3pm). Hucknall are currently bottom, on seven points, fifteen points and fourteen places behind Celtic having yet to record any points on the road this season.

Indeed, Hucknall?s last away point was in March last season when they held Kettering to a goalless draw. However, have things turned around for Town? Their last match (at home) was a 5-0 thumping of Worcester, and they also took maximum points off Vauxhall. Their last away match, at the beginning of October, was away at Southport, and it was a game in which they were thumped 5-0. That means that they have won two games, their other point coming with a 1-1 draw at home to Hinckley United in a bottom of the table tussle.

Prior to the 5-0 win over Worcester, they had scored just ten goals in thirteen games, unable to score in four of previous five games. This means that they have scored an average of 0.8 goals per game away from home (1.07 overall), whilst they have kept just two clean sheets all season, and both of these were at home, and both wins, with five teams putting three or more past them. This means they concede an average of 3 goals per game away from home (2.2 overall). Their top scorer so far, with two of the goals against Worcester, is Danny Mayman with three goals, with four players right behind him on two goals. They have scored exactly equally between the two halves, but do concede more goals in the second period, and there are no real peaks for dangerous or vulnerable periods.

Our last meeting with Hucknall was towards the end of last season when we visited Watnall Road, and came away on the wrong end of a 2-1 score-line. Indeed, we have not beaten Hucknall since November 2005 when we beat them 2-1. Our best result against Hucknall was in the last season of the Unibond Premier when we needed a maximum three points at Watnall Road whilst they were league leaders. We came away winners and secured a place in the Conference North. The manager at that time for Hucknall was Steve Burr, leading them to league victory.

Hucknall will be without new signing, midfielder Ian Robinson through an accumulation of cautions. Also missing will be Russell Cook for the same reason; whilst loan signing Eric Graves joined them from Gainsborough. In their last match, the 5-0 home demolition of Worcester, Hucknall lined up as:
1. Saul Deeney
2. Bobby Wilson
3. Gary Sucharewycz
4. Russell Cooke
5. Alistair Asher
6. Ian Robinson
7. Eric Graves
8. Danny Mayman
9. Stephen Akers
10. Ben Saunders
11. Danny Bacon

Paul Sykes will be missing for the match, for a suspension for accumulated cautions. Matty Barlow played a few minutes at Telford, and may be available for selection. In the 3-0 away defeat at Telford, Celtic lined up as:
1. Paddy Gamble
2. Ashley Woolliscroft
3. Simon Garner
4. James Dudgeon
5. Mark Haran
6. Paul Sykes
7. Lee Ellington
8. Ashley Winn
9. Chris Hall
10. Terry Barwick
11. Ashley Burbeary

Celtic will be looking to put the disappointing few days behind them and look to climb the table. With the loss at Telford last week, there are now five points between us and Southport in fifth place, whilst Harrogate are looking ever more distant, fourteen points clear of us now. Hucknall will not be an easy team to beat, despite their position; they are desperate to climb from the bottom spot, and are only four points off safety. And though the automated prediction algorithm has suggested a 4-3 score-line in Celtic?s favour, Celtic have not scored for two matches and will need to find their shooting boots to get four ? though we are very capable of doing so.