On Saturday, Celtic travel to the Wolverhampton area to face Sporting Khalsa. Khalsa are currently nineteenth on thirty-seven points, sixteen places and forty-one points behind Celtic. Kick-off 3pm.

With nine points left on the board, Khalsa are two points from safety in the drop zone, behind Stafford, and four behind Congleton, so it is fair to say they are fighting for their place in the division next season. To that end, they relegated Darlaston on Easter Monday, and gave themselves a lifeline, beating their neighbours 1-0. They have been down in and around the bottom six for much of the season. The win over Darlaston came after a run of five straight losses, and eight games since their last win at home to Kidsgrove. Khalsa are better at home than away, picking up thirteen points (including three wins) on the road this season and twenty-four at home, including seven wins.

Over their laast six games, Khalsa have conceded nineteen goals, scoring seven, and only Wythenshawe have conceded more goals over the course of this season than Khalsa’s seventy-nine. However, they have scored almost the same as Chasetown, eleven places higher. At home, they have only failed to score twice this season, the ost recent in their last home game to Clitheroe, and the previous time to Chasetown at the end of August. Away, they’ve failed to score nine times. On average, Khalsa score 1.9 goals per game at home (1.3 overall), and concede 1.8 per home game (2.0 overall). Their top scorer is Chay Tilt, who has nineteen goals, with Andre Landell six behind on thirteen, and the next nearest, Gurjit Singh, on four. Tilt is the league’s third highest goal scorer.

We’ve only met Khalsa once, at the start of this season, a game that finished 1-0 to Celtic at Bower Fold back in September. Benni Smales-Braithwaite grabbed the only goal in a game in which Khalsa gave as good as they got.

In Sporting Khalsa’s last match, the 1-0 away win over Darlaston, Khalsa lined up as:
1. R’avan Constable
2. Kristian Green
3. Mikkel Hirst
4. Narel Phillips
5. Rio Sawyers
6. Daniel Broni-Phillips
7. Chat Tilt
8. Kieron Whittaker
9. Andre Landell
10. Rahis Nabi
11. Dan Gyasi

In Celtic’s last match, the 1-0 home win over Mossley, Celtic lined up as:
1. Charlie Monks
2. Jordan Butterworth
3. Kyle Brownhill
4. Aaron Chalmers
5. Jack Byrne
6. Charlie Doyle
7. Andy Scarisbrick
8. Liam Tongue
9. Ruben Jerome
10. Jack Irlam
11. Ellis Horan

If results go Celtic’s way, Celtic could be level on points with top team Bury. Bury (at home to Nantwich) are three points ahead, whilst second placed Avro (away at Vauxhall) are one point ahead. We are four points clear of Runcorn (away at Kidsgrove), five clear of Lower Breck (away at Stafford) six clear of Vauxhall and need only a point to guarantee a play-off place. A loss for Vauxhall would mean Breck and Runcorn only need another point to keep Vauxhall from the top five, so Avro’s game will be interesting. Stafford are clawing for air above the drop zone, so another top v bottom clash there. Nantwich are safe from relegation and can’t reach the play-offs, so expect a master-class from Bury, especially knowing us and Avro are in their slipstream waiting for another stumble.