Skipper Chris Atkinson is expecting a tough test as The Celts face playoff hopefuls Alfreton Town at The Citadel on Saturday.

But our captain is buoyed by a battling point on the road at high fliers Brackley last week.

“Brackley is one of the toughest places to go in the league but we dealt with them very well,” said Chris, who will play a club record 311th game for The Celts on Saturday, if selected.

“We should have had a blatant penalty in the first half after a foul on the gaffer, which I thought was a very poor decision! They threw a lot of bodies forward in the second half but we defended resiliently as a team and came away with a very good point.”

Chris is expecting another tough challenge on Saturday as The Celts return to the Citadel.

“Playing against Alfreton is always a tough and physical game,” he said. “They load your box constantly with long balls and long throws, so we will have to defend well. We will be looking to back last Saturday’s point at Brackley with another positive result!”

The game is set to mark Chris’s 311th appearance, a record for the reformed club which is currently held on 310 appearances by Celts’ legend Adam Clayton.

• Read Chris Arkinson’s thoughts in Saturday’s match programme, priced £3.
• Latest ticket and supporters’ information can be found here.