Just Kidderminster Harriers (away on Saturday) in the semi-final and, if we triumph in that, the winner of South Shields vs Buxton in the second semi stand between the Silkmen and promotion to the National League. But one step at a time - in-form Kidderminster will present formidable opposition tomorrow, not least because their squad has had a full week’s rest in comparison to Macclesfield who have just over 48 hours to recover after prevailing in the Cheshire derby.

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The Silkmen get what they deserve

Be honest, did you expect Macc to rally after going a goal behind to Connor Woods’ 36th minute strike? At that moment there felt an inevitably that Chester simply had the Silkmen’s number after comfortably beating them 2-0 home and away in the regular league season.

To their enormous credit, manager John Rooney and the players didn’t panic and continued to patiently probe away at a safety-first, patched-up Chester side who had lost key players Fin Shrimpton and Dylan Mottley-Henry to injury in each half. Let’s be clear though - Macclesfield were the better side throughout this bruising contest, they dominated the opening 20 minutes and Chester’s goal was very much against the run of play.

In the second half it was one-way traffic, but it took a classy move to eventually break Chester’s stubborn resistance. Sam Heathcote strode out of defence and found Paul Dawson, whose neat turn created half a yard for him to play the ball out to Luke Duffy on the right wing. Duffy’s incisive low first-time cross was swept home at the near post by makeshift striker Josh Kay who equalised with aplomb.

Chester were on the ropes and the Silkmen never let them escape. James Edmondson’s hooked effort from Kay’s flick was saved, Cameron Borthwick-Jackson rattled the bar with a thunderous 30-yard effort, and Dawson’s fizzed strike landed on the roof of the net in injury time.

Just when the tie was heading for extra-time, a short corner routine off the training ground which Macclesfield had been deploying all evening eventually paid off. Duffy’s cross-come-shot was too hot to handle for Seals keeper Bobby Jones, who could only palm the effort into the net to spark wild scenes of jubilation inside the Leasing.com stadium!

The view from Chester fans

“Don’t think we would have handled extra-time either way. Shame Shrimpton and Mottley-Henry went off injured”

“Another mistake by our keeper, not the first or second time since he’s been here. Keepers in general have lost us too many points and games this season.”

“Fair result. Defence played well and had a lot to do. Felt the midfield didn’t offer much and as soon as both Shrimpton and Mottley-Henry went off we had zero threat upfront.”

“Came up short. Wasn’t good enough tonight unfortunately. Bobby Jones absolutely awful dealing with any balls into the box again.”

“We looked absolutely shattered tonight, hanging on from the moment we scored and can’t begrudge Macc the win”

“Got battered second half”

“No qualms about the result. Macclesfield deservedly won”

“Really unlucky to have Carson and Bainbridge out, and losing our two top scorers compounded things as we had no outlet. The goal at the end was so Chester, it pains me to say.”

“We sat too deep all game and gave them the freedom to spray the ball around and left gaping holes in the middle.”

“Never want to see Tom Peers in a Chester shirt again. He’s fucking awful”

“Two poor looking sides tonight”

“Didn’t think we deserved anything from that and I knew we wouldn’t once Peers came on”

“Hope those knuckle dragging morons throwing stuff (at Ravenhill) were caught on film, get banned and pay the inevitable fine the club gets”

“Very deflating. You could see Macc were fresher having had the luxury of being able to rest players when they were safely in fourth. It felt inevitable that they’d score from a corner. Ravenhill was a disgrace.”

“It was definitely coming unfortunately. On the plus side, I can’t see them progressing through 2 more games. Our shortcomings played massively into their hands - we’ve already shown twice this season that at our best we can comfortably beat them”

“Pathetic performance. Roll on next season with (Phil) Parkinson”

“The best four sides are left in the play-offs. Be interesting to see who goes up. We could do with South Shields going up to get rid of them”

“Reminded me of the play-off game away at Kiddy last season when we were the better side, except Macc were the better side last night so can’t really have any complaints”

“Anyone else notice what appeared to be one of the Macc players throwing punches just after their second goal? Then a bit of wrestling ended up with him rolling on the floor on his back as if he’d been shot”

“Seen it back on the fan cam behind the goal. Woodthorpe tries to get the ball, Kay stops him and throws a punch. Woodthorpe then pushes Kay and chucks him on the ground, where Kay feins injury”

“Well done to Macclesfield. On the night they were the better team.”

“We were outclassed by a far fitter Macc side, who were able to successfully raise their game far beyond the levels they showed in our previous two meetings”

Regardless of the result on Wednesday night there’s plenty to celebrate for the Silkmen this season. We’ve got some reflections on our favourite moments in the league this season (Chorley away?), why form leading up to this might have dipped, and a brief look across our other play off contenders.

Podcast available on all good platforms including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and many more. Or you can listen through the player above.

We’re activley looking for more contributors to the podcast in particular from people who are under represented within the fan base. Do get in touch if you’re intrested in getting involved. If there’s anything you’d like us to cover in future podcasts then leave us a comment and we’ll get it in for future episodes.

Three losses in four games, make that four defeats in five at home which used to be a ‘fortress’. So what’s gone wrong, and what does manager John Rooney need to fix to give Macc the best chance of winning promotion?

Back Ravenhill or re-instate Dearnley

The debate over who should play in goal rumbles on and came to a head once more on Saturday as some supporters took issue with Rogan Ravenhill. The on-loan keeper from Barnsley came under fire for his performance against Spennymoor and didn’t help himself when appearing to mock a supporter in the Star Lane End.

No matter what, Ravenhill will always be public enemy number one for some due to replacing fan-favourite Max Dearnley between the sticks. At times the youngster has flattered to deceive during his 16 appearances for the Silkmen, combining some shaky moments (Marine and Darlington away) with some breathtaking saves (Fylde at home and South Shields away).

After two excellent displays against Merthyr and South Shields, it appeared that Rogan had turned a corner. However, his capabilities were again called into question during the Spennymoor setback.

I felt Ravenhill may have done better to keep out the away side’s opening goal after just five minutes. Whilst Macclesfield were carved open by a routine ball through the middle, goalscorer McKeown’s shot wasn’t venomously struck and appeared to go underneath Ravenhill at his near post. It wasn’t quite the pea roller that the goalkeeper conceded away at Marine, but one of those shots where he may have done better.

After that, Ravenhill got lucky when flapping at a corner having completely misjudged the flight of the ball. He could have done nothing to keep out Spennymoor’s second - a superb strike from Ramshaw from the edge of the box, although some thought Ravenhill could have prevented the corner in the first place from which the visitor’s duly doubled their lead.

In total, Rogan has made 16 appearance in a Silkmen shirt, registering four clean sheets. He’s conceded 26 goals – an average of 1.6 goals per game. In contrast, Max Dearnley has made 28 appearances, 4 clean sheets, conceding 40 goals (1.4 goals per game). Pro-Dearnley supporters conveniently seem to overlook the errors Max made in a less than convincing start to 2026.

I’ve conducted some analysis on both goalkeepers a few weeks ago – see here. Personally, I don’t think there’s a lot between them, although my gut feeling is the defence does seem calmer when playing in front of Dearnley. Unfounded rumours suggest that Ravenhill’s parent club Barnsley has insisted that their goalkeeper must start for Macclesfield, unless he is unavailable through injury or suspension.

Regardless of whether Ravenhill has a clause in his contract or not, I feel that now is the time for Rooney to break his silence on this matter and ask for Silkmen supporters to put their differences to one side. Either publicly back him to the tune of…

“We’re lucky to have two great keepers at the club, but right now Rogan is my number one. He’s young and he’ll make mistakes, but please can all supporters get behind him. He was outstanding at Merthyr and again at South Shields, and I’m confident that he will be a huge asset to us in the play-offs etc etc.”

Or…. if Rooney is in any doubt after Ravenhill’s ability, now is the time to re-instate Max Dearnley and restore him in goal for our final two league games against Southport and Radcliffe.

Decide who is our first-choice defence

Injuries (Cameron Borthwick-Jackson) and suspension (Sam Heathcote) have disrupted Macclesfield’s defence. We’ve changed our back four in each of our previous three games, and before that have frequently alternated between Luke Matheson and Lewis Fensome at right back, and Luis Lacey and Kacper Pasiek at left back.

It would seem that Rooney’s preferred defensive line-up is Matheson, Heathcote, Borthwick-Jackson and Lacey, however this combination has started only 3 of our last 10 games.

Rollin Menayese, once a mainstay of the side, has endured a disastrous week. Torn to shreds at South Shield as Rooney adopted a high defensive line, Rollin was also at fault for Spennymoor’s opener on Saturday. He needlessly got drawn out of defence to track striker Glen Taylor who had dropped deep to collect the ball.

That created space for Spennymoor to float the ball over Matheson’s head into the area Menayese had vacated, Borthwick-Jackson couldn’t get across in time to prevent to McKeown’s strike and Macc were once again 1-0 down inside five minutes.

Spennymoor’s second goal also came about from a defensive mix-up as Borthwick-Jackson and Menayese both went to clear the corner. Borthwick-Jackson’s weak header fell to Ramshaw who leathered it past Ravenhill, but Menayese was arguably better placed to clear the danger.

Did Rollin call for it, or not? Like with Chester’s opener on Easter Monday, this was another example of a total lack of communication between the Silkmen’s centre backs (on that occasion Heathcote and Borthwick-Jackson).

It’s very late in the day now, but if Rooney is intent on protecting Sam Heathcote from suspension then maybe it’s high time to give Lewis Fensome an opportunity in his preferred position of centre back instead of as a makeshift full-back?

Less we forget, Fensome starred during the run-in to our Northern Premier League title success and was even preferred to Paul Dawson at centre back by Robbie Savage! Other than coming off the bench on Saturday to play in central defence, the only other time I can recall Fensome playing there this season is when he lined-up in a back five away at Spennymoor in August!

Address the drop-off in our attacking play

The drop-off wasn’t immediate, but over the last 6 games our attacking play in the final third has deteriorated and we now seem to be struggling without the potency, pace and tireless energy of D’Mani Mellor playing as a central striker. Here’s some stats:

Last 6 games vs Spennymoor, South Shields, Merthyr, Chester, Buxton and Hereford.

· Goals scored: 9

· Total shots: 83

· Shots on target: 24

· Shots inside the box: 42

· Shots outside the box: 41

· Crosses: 74 (20 accurate)

Previous 6 games vs Alfreton, Hereford, Telford, Curzon, Marine and Chorley.

· Goals scored: 12

· Total shots: 99

· Shots on target: 37

· Shots inside the box: 54

· Shots outside the box: 45

· Crosses: 85 (33 accurate)

Commentary: Comparing our last 6 games with the 6 games prior to that, we’ve scored 3 fewer goals, our total number of shots have reduced by 16%, shots on target by -35%, shots in the box by -22% and our total number of crosses by -12%.

In conclusion, we’re scoring fewer goals due to a significant drop-off in getting shots on target, having less efforts on goal and creating less quality chances (fewer shots inside the box).

In hindsight, perhaps the signs have been there. The free-flowing football which saw Macc sweep aside Radcliffe (3-1), Kidderminster (5-1), Worksop (4-2), Marine (4-2) and King’s Lynn (4-0), has been replaced by the Silkmen grinding out results in recent weeks. Against Curzon (20 shots) and Hereford (25 shots), we only had 4 and 3 shots respectively on target.

It was a similar story in our home defeats against Chorley (17 shots, 5 on target), Chester (16 shots, 4 on target) and on Saturday vs Spennymoor (17 shots, just 5 on target again) with Theo Chapman and James Gale particularly wasteful.

The 6 previous games Mellor started vs Darlington, Scarborough, Fylde, King’s Lynn, Leamington and Kidderminster before he was sold:

· Goals scored: 17

· Total shots: 90

· Shots on target: 40

· Shots inside the box: 52

· Shots outside the box: 38

· Crosses: 83 (36 accurate)

Commentary: I think it’s worth noting that we scored almost double the amount of goals WITH Mellor in the side (17) compared to our last 6 league games (9). And these 17 goals came against four sides who are in and around the promotion and play-off mix, albeit five of them came in the crushing victory over Kidderminster.

Don’t abandon 4-3-3 in favour of 4-2-3-1

Rooney adopted a more cautious 4-2-3-1 formation against Spennymoor, handing a debut to new signing Harry McHugh in a holding midfield role alongside James Edmondson. It simply didn’t work without Paul Dawson in the engine room.

Since abandoning 4-2-3-1 in favour of a more attack-minded 4-3-3, or a 4-1-4-1 set-up with Elliot Osborne policing just in front of the defence, the Silkmen have been scoring goals for fun. Luke Duffy has been transformed playing effectively as a right winger / inside forward, and the midfield trio of Dawson, Edmondson and Osborne complement each other well.

Striker James Gale is clearly struggling, no goals in 6 games, and just 2 since D’Mani Mellor jumped ship to Forest Green. Initially played as an impact sub, Gale had been tasked with starting 12 consecutive games before he was benched for our 4-1 to defeat at South Shields. He was re-instated against Spennymoor, but asked to play as a lone striker – a position he lacks the mobility and hold-up play qualities for.

The big man does know where the net is, he’s scored 8 goals in 20 appearances for the Silkmen, so let’s hope he comes good for the play-offs. Maybe Gale would benefit from a rest, but with loan striker Anjola Popoola absent from the squad at Spennymoor for reasons unknown, Gale may have to soldier on.

Our reliance on Dawson

Our dependency on captain fantastic Paul Dawson was again evident on Saturday. Rested as a precaution to avoid getting a 15^th yellow card and another suspension, Dawson’s absence and the impact on the team was plain to see. We simply lacked tenacity in the middle of the park and his leadership presence, not to mention his goalscoring threat which has seen him score 12 goals in 37 league appearances this season.

Our record in the league with and without Dawson bares some scrutiny, and highlights that we can ill afford to be without him for the play-offs.

With Dawson:

Appearances: 37

Started: 35 (25 in midfield, 10 at centre back)

Won: 20

Drew: 5

Lost: 10

Win percentage: 57%

Without Dawson starting:

Played: 9

Won: 3

Drew: 2

Lost: 4

Win percentage: 33%

*NB Dawson did come on at half-time in the 2-1 home win against Darlington when the score was 1-1, and late on in the away defeat at Chorley when it was 2-2.

With Dawson playing at centre half:

Played: 10

Won: 5

Drew: 3

Lost 2

Win percentage: 50%

Nail down Josh Kay’s best position

Josh Kay’s Silkmen career has been characterised by fleeting moments of quality and ill-discipline. The loanee from Oldham has made 25 appearances, but three red cards and an injury before Christmas have left him unavailable for 12 league games.

Now available again after a serving a five-match ban for being sent off after the full-time whistle against Chorley, Rooney seems intent on crowbarring Kay into the team any way he can. But establishing Kay’s best position remains something of a dilemma.

The Oldham loanee has played eight different positions during his Silkmen career to date: holding midfielder, central midfielder, right mid, left mid, attacking mid, left wing, right wing and even as a central striker against South Shields! Just 3 goals and 2 assists in the league have led some supporters to question Kay’s end product and true value to the Silkmen’s starting eleven, with good reason.

I’m not sure Kay possesses the pace, trickery or goalscoring composure to operate successfully in a front three. He’s also very wasteful in the opposition’s half the further he plays forward – just 36% passing accuracy vs Merthyr, 55% vs Chester and 63% vs Spennymoor isn’t good enough at any level.

However, in midfield Kay’s aggression, technique and ability to pick out a forward run does appear to be where his undoubted talent is most effective. In his 6 appearances playing at left midfield in a midfield three, Macclesfield have won 5 and lost 1, although the opposition includes Bedford (twice), Leamington, King’s Lynn, Darlington and Chorley (1-2 defeat).

On his day Kay can be a match-winner, but can Rooney trust him a) to deliver in the games that matter the most and b) keep his head in the play-off pressure cooker? It’s not as if we can’t prevail without Kay in the side. In the 12 games he’s been unavailable for, we’ve won 7, drawn 1 and lost only 4.

Justice for JJ?

It’s fair to presume that Justin Johnson and John Rooney don’t see eye-to-eye. Johnson was a peripheral figure at the start of the season, seemingly only getting his chance off the bench in an act of desperation from Rooney versus Darlington at home and Chorley away.

Johnson’s impressive cameos earned him a run in the side and the wayward winger duly delivered with a man-of-the-match performance and tremendous winner in the 3-2 victory over Curzon. Rather than sound like a broken record, I’ll share a link to the article I wrote about JJ at the time – many of points still stand six months later.

Johnson’s purple patch had extinguished somewhat prior to him getting injured before Christmas. Despite this, he had still registered three goals and two assists from 18 appearances, just nine of them starts, averaging a total of only 39 minutes per game.

JJ’s last start came against Chester on 30 December when he was hooked at half-time in the disappointing 2-0 loss. His last league appearance was as an 87^th minute substitute in our 2-1 loss at home to Chorley, and he’s not even made the bench since Curzon away on 14^th March – 9 games ago!

I don’t know what’s gone on behind the scenes, but given Macclesfield’s current struggles in the final third, surely there’s merit in Rooney and Johnson burying the hatchet? Or, are you honestly telling me that there’s no room for Johnson in our squad of 18, even as an impact sub who is capable of turning a game on its head with some sublime skill and unpredictability?

It’s not too late for both parties to swallow their pride, and arguably someone needs to quickly to give the Silkmen the best chance of triumphing in the play-offs.

The Silkmen’s unlikely rally was all the more dramatic due to them having to play with ten-men following Sam Heathcote’s non-sensical dismissal on the stroke of half-time following two yellow cards.

Merthyr took the lead on 66 minutes with a fine 25-yard strike from Tom Handley - a player who Macclesfield supporters will be sick of the sight of given Handley scored a hat-trick for the Martyrs in their 3-1 victory over the Silkmen back in September.

Out-of-sorts and (in truth) out of excuses for an abject display given they travelled down to South Wales on Friday night, Macclesfield were staring down the barrel of successive league defeats. Something needed to change, and to his credit manager John Rooney and his coaching staff found the answers.

Rooney’s tactical masterstroke

A poorly Luke Duffy, only well enough to take his place on the bench having commuted to Merthyr separately from the rest of the squad, was introduced as a 64th minute substitute for James Gale. It helped to turn the game on its head, even if the home side did take the lead almost immediately afterwards.

Rooney switched Isaac Buckley-Ricketts from out wide to a central striking position, supported by Duffy and Josh Kay on the flanks. IBR’s movement occupied Merthyr’s defenders for the first time, but it needed a textbook pass from Duffy to pick out Kay’s run from the right channel. Kay took it in his stride and finished cooly to draw Macc level just three minutes after going behind.

We could have settled for the draw, but the resilient Silkmen had other ideas. A flowing move from back to front, involving Edmondson and substitute Anjola Popoola, saw the latter square the ball for Edo, who found the bottom corner with an accurate finish to make it 2-1 to send the travelling away contingent into raptures.

In total, the Silkmen enjoyed just 31% possession, had only five efforts on goal and scored with their only two shots on target. Pretty it wasn’t, but effective it was in the end…

Did you know?

The come-from-behind win at Merthyr means that Macc have now rescued 25 points from losing positions this season, almost a third of our overall points total!

Play-offs guaranteed

Victory at Merthyr takes Macclesfield to 76 points and guarantees us a play-off place with still four league games remaining - a remarkable achievement from everyone concerned, and even moreso when you consider that the Silkmen were languishing in 15th place in the table, six points adrift of seventh place at the start of 2026.

Rooney’s men are almost certain to finish at least fourth, unless Macclesfield lose all of their remaining league games and Merthyr win their remaining three games, AND, overturn a current goal difference swing of eight goals. Given the Welsh side have only won three of their last 16 league fixtures (losing 11 of them!), this scenario seems unlikely.

Can we overtake Kidderminster and finish third?

Yes. We’ve played a game less and currently sit two points behind Kidderminster. However, our game in hand is against South Shields on Tuesday night who can overhaul Fylde and go top of the league if they beat the Silkmen. What a high-stakes battle Tuesday promises to be!

Remaining fixtures

Macclesfield: South Shields (a), Spennymoor (h), Southport (h), Radcliffe (a)

Kidderminster: Radcliffe (a), Leamington (a), South Shields (h)

Realistically, I think Macc will need to secure a minimum of 84 points to seal third place - three wins, or two wins and two draws. It’s probably likely that Kidderminster take maximum points from Radcliffe and Leamington, putting them on 84 pts going into a tantalising final day game against promotion-chasing South Shields at home!

Providing the Silkmen can take it to the wire against a Radcliffe side on the beach, we’re in with a shout of claiming third, even if we lose at South Shields. But that scenario would leave us probably needing to win our final three games.

Spennymoor still have an outside chance of reaching the play-offs (but their negative goal difference should put paid to that). Southport are in mid-table but have been one of the form sides in the NLN although they surprisingly lost against relegated Leamington yesterday. Whilst Radcliffe are bottom of the form table with just 1 point from their last six, whereas in contrast the Silkmen are top after winning 5 out of 6. Kidderminster have rebounded from back-to-back defeats with three successive wins.

You really couldn’t call who takes third place and, more importantly, which team will ultimately triumph in the play-offs as we stand.

See you soon, Kidderminster?

As a reminder, the team that finishes third will be rewarded with a home game in the play-off semi-final and with one less game to play. This is how the National League North play-off format will pan out.

• Eliminator A (5th v 6th) - Tue 28 April

• Eliminator B (4th v 7th) - Wed 29 April

• Semi-final - 2nd v Eliminator A winner - Sat 2 May

• Semi final - 3rd v Eliminator B winner - Sat 2 May

• Promotion Final - Sat 9 May, with the team who finished highest in the league gaining home advantage.

A final word on the ‘invincible’ Fylde and South Shields

There seems to be a prevailing opinion that IF AFC Fylde don’t win the league and finish second, they are likely to go up via the play-offs. Following Fylde’s loss to Chester yesterday and South Shields demolishing Radcliffe, the race for the National League North title and automatic promotion is well and truly back on.

If you’re a Silkmen fan you’ll want Fylde to go up automatically after they have easily beaten us 5-1 and 4-1 this season. In reality, neither Fylde or South Shields are in good form right now. Fylde have lost three of their last six, all away from home (including four of their last 5 away) yet remain very strong at home (17 wins, 2 draws, 2 losses) which would make them favourites for the play-offs if they end up there.

Meanwhile, Shields have only won three out of their last eight, but like Fylde have an enviable home record (16 wins, 3 draws, 2 losses). One of these sides is going to have to pick themselves up after the heartache of missing out on the league title.

There’s no reason then why the Silkmen can’t take advantage in what is the lottery of the play-offs! Keep the faith!

For many Macclesfield supporters this will come as little surprise, given the lavish spending the club embarked on to win promotion from the Northern Premier League last season.

Under former manager Robbie Savage, the Silkmen made a raft of major new player signings (with promotion clauses) on considerable wages from higher up the football pyramid, which included: Danny Elliott, Justin Johnson, Danny Whitehead, Elliott Whitehouse, Max Dearnley, D’Mani Mellor and Rollin Menayese, amongst others.

Increased investment from the Board, but an increased reliance on the Smethursts

Short-term liabilities have risen sharply from £1.82 million to £2.39 million, of which £2.21 million is to ‘related parties’ and directors.

Broken down, the figures highlight the amounts owed to ‘related parties rose’ from £1.03 million to £1.55 million, while directors’ loans increased £688,000 to £838,000. On a positive note, these numbers reveal a major commitment from Rob and Sarah-Jane Smethurst to back the Silkmen’s aim to eventually return to the Football League, alongside contributions from newer board members such as Jonathan Bull.

Asset base remains strong

Macclesfield’s fixed assets – largely the club’s infrastructure ie the stadium and associated leisure facilities remain its most valuable long-term strength. The net book value of tangible assets stands at £2.31 million, slightly lower compared to £2.45 million the previous year.

The club continued to upgrade its facilities, albeit somewhat modestly following additional spending of £43,378 on new fixed assets. In reality, Macclesfield have pushed harder on and off the pitch to achieve success, which naturally comes with higher operating costs.

Cashflow stable

Cash in the bank increased to £124,110 from £101,747. In addition, trade receivables have increased from £71,854 to £132,145 which indicates a strong uplift in the club’s commercial performance following promotion to the National League North. The club’s staff numbers also remained static at 48 – identical to the previous year.

Heavy financial losses, but reasons for optimism

There’s no sugarcoating a £624,000 loss, however, it’s worth keeping in mind that A LOT has changed since these figures were compiled reflecting Macclesfield’s financial performance for the year ending 30 June 2025.

Following Robbie Savage’s departure and the appointment of new manager John Rooney, the Board has exercised greater financial prudence, helped in part by Savage raiding his former club to sign Tre Pemberton, Laurent Mendy, Neil Kengni, Sean Etaluku and more recently D’Mani Mellor.

After previously considering stepping back from the day-to-day running of the club, Rob Smethurst has also returned as Chairman at the beginning of this year much to relief of Silkmen supporters.

Summary

Why did the losses increase so much?

Although the accounts don’t break down player‑related spending, several things clearly contributed:

· The club significantly increased its player budget

· Short‑term debts increased

· General operating costs rose…

• But he club continued upgrading facilities, spending £43,378 on new fixed assets.

Is the Board still supporting the club?

Yes, in a major way. Amounts owed to owners and related parties rose to £1.55 million, showing that the board (predominantly Rob and Sarah-Jane Smethurst) has continued to back the club moving forward.

And whilst understandably many supporters bemoaned the loss of Pemberton, Kengni and Mendy to Forest Green without like-for-like replacements being brought in, the Board have not been shy at putting their hands in their pockets and supporting John Rooney.

Since the end of last season, 21 new players have arrived through the door – 15 of them as permanent signings (with 6 loans), although Josef Yarney, Max Woltman, Luke Griffiths and Shea Callister have subsequently been allowed to leave.

How significant is the FA Cup run?
It could potentially be transformational in the short and medium term, particularly if Macclesfield’s boost in profile attracts new investors from at home or even overseas. A proportion of the money generated from the FA Cup run is likely to have been allocated to fund the acquisitions of nine new players since January alone to spearhead a play-off push.

Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, Mikey Stone, Elliot Osborne, James Gale, Theo Chapman and most recently Harry McHugh have arrived on permanent deals, whilst Anjola Popoola, Kacper Pasiek and Rogan Ravenhill have arrived on loan as the Silkmen strive for promotion to the National League.

As a reminder, teams finishing between second and seventh in the league secure a play-off spot. But crucially, those finishing second and third go straight through to the play-off semi-finals AND will have home advantage. Whilst either AFC Fylde or South Shields will finish second, third-place remains up for grabs for the Silkmen.

Remarkably with games in hand, late surges in form and alarming drop-offs in results, up to 11 teams have a chance of making the play-offs, from third-placed Kidderminster to Marine currently in 13^th. In this updated article of my previous piece, we’ll predict which teams are looking most likely to secure a top seven finish, and estimate how many points will be needed to secure 7^th and 3^rd place.

How many points will Macc need for a play-off place?

Yesterday’s results saw defeats for Kidderminster and Darlington, Macclesfield and Merthyr didn’t play, whilst Scarborough and Telford (in seventh and eighth respectively) could only manage draws at home. But the chasing pack of Buxton, Chester and Spennymoor picked up wins to narrow the gap to the play-offs.

Teams are running out of road with the majority having only five or six games remaining, in contrast to Macc who have eight fixtures left in what will be a busy end to the season. My original prediction stands in that I believe 73pts will be enough to secure 7^th place, but given how many of the play-off contenders have to play each other, a low of 71pts might be sufficient to scrape over the line.

For Macclesfield, two more wins from our final eight games would put us in a very strong position to secure a play-off place.

Is third place up for grabs?

Absolutely. It was even before yesterday, but following Kidderminster’s shock loss to Oxford City the battle for third is well and truly on between the Silkmen and the Harriers, with Merthyr and Darlington rank outsiders. Kidderminster currently occupy third on 69 points having played 39 games, with Macclesfield two points behind them with a game in hand.

As you’ll see below, Kidderminster’s run-in is much easier compared to ours though making them the favourites to clinch a home semi-final tie in the play-offs with either Fylde or South Shields claiming the other. To grab third, I think the Silkmen are probably looking at a low of 81 points and a high of 84 points, which would possibly require five more victories from our last eight – a tall order given the difficulty of our run-in.

If you’re glass half-full you’ll be looking upwards at the National League North table. If you’re glass half-empty (like me), you’ll be nervously looking over your shoulder and gladly take fourth or fifth place which will guarantee home advantage in the play-off quarter finals.

The leading contenders

Kidderminster Harriers

Current position: 3^rd, 69pts

Games remaining: 7

Home: Hereford, King’s Lynn, South Shields

Away: Radcliffe, Spennymoor, Telford, Leamington

Current form (last 6): 9^th, 10pts

Average PPG of remaining opponents: 1.33

Comment: Kidderminster blew a chance to go five points clear of Macclesfield in third place by suffering a 3-2 loss at the improving Oxford City. The Harriers’ defence has been the cornerstone of their promotion push – no team has gained more clean sheets than them in the NLN (16). So what a time to concede three at lowly Oxford without their number one goalkeeper Christian Dibble and enterprising full-back Joe Foulkes.

Dibble and Foulkes were stretchered off following a sickening clash at Radcliffe last week which led to the game being abandoned. The fixture will need to be replayed, but it would be a surprise to see either player feature again this season – a huge blow for the Harriers. Whilst manager Adam Murray did bring in reinforcements before Thursday’s transfer deadline day, Kiddy fans are suddenly nervous about their promotion chances.

They remain favourites to finish third, but still face tricky fixtures against Spennymoor, Telford and South Shields in their remaining seven games. If they do have a wobble, Macclesfield are the most likeliest to overtake them.

Macclesfield FC

Current position: 4^th, 67pts

Games remaining: 8

Home: Chester, Spennymoor, Southport

Away: Hereford, Buxton, Merthyr, South Shields, Radcliffe

Current form (last 6): 7^th, 12pts

Average PPG of remaining opponents: 1.54

Comment: Despite disappointing recent defeats to Chorley and Telford, back-to-back wins over struggling Hereford and Alfreton have catapulted Macclesfield up to fourth in the table – their highest position of the season. In 2026, the Silkmen’s league currently stands at: Won 12, Drawn 1, Lost 4, which equates to 37 points from 17 games and a PPG of 2.17. Had Macc replicated this over the course of the season, we’d currently be vying for automatic promotion with Fylde and South Shields!

The FA Cup run has enabled manager John Rooney to strengthen his squad at a crucial point in the season, with midfielder Harry McHugh being the latest addition. The Silkmen still look light upfront, although the loan signing of Anjola Popoola will lighten the burden on James Gale following the departure of D’Mani Mellor.

Macclesfield’s run-in is tough and their results over Easter against Buxton and Chester may determine whether we are looking upwards towards 3^rd, or looking anxiously over our shoulders to secure a play-off berth. On a positive note the Silkmen are in the ascendency, it’s very much in our hands, and having improved their shaky away form from earlier in the season Macclesfield fans will quietly fancy our promotion chances.

Merthyr Town

Current position: 5^th, 66pts

Games remaining: 6

Home: Oxford, Macclesfield, AFC Fylde

Away: Hereford, Marine, Scarborough

Current form (last 6): 17^th, 6pts

Average PPG of remaining opponents: 1.48

Comment: As stated last time, Merthyr’s drop-off in form is so disastrous that they are in danger of missing out on the play-offs altogether after they previously occupied third place from mid-November until only a couple of weeks ago. 9 defeats in their last 13 league games, and just 3 wins is more like relegation form. The loss of star striker Ricardo Rees to Forest Green has hit the Welshmen hard, and whereas the Silkmen have dusted themselves down and rebounded after also losing D’Mani Mellor to Robbie Savage, clearly Merthyr don’t have the same squad depth.

The Martyrs still have to play the Silkmen, Fylde, Marine and Scarborough in their remaining games, not to mention the vastly improving Oxford City – currently fourth in the form table with 13pts from their last six. It would be no surprise If Merthyr capitulated on missed out on the play-offs given their current trajectory.

Darlington

Current position: 6^th, 65pts

Games remaining: 5

Home: Scarborough, Marine, Oxford

Away: South Shields, Telford

Current form (last 6): 12^th, 9pts

Average PPG of remaining opponents: 1.61

Comment: Darlington have lost three of their last five games against Buxton, Kidderminster and Fylde, and yesterday’s loss to the Coasters consigned them to back-to-back defeats. On paper, Darlo also have the toughest run-in of any play-off contender. In Cedric Main and Jack Maskell, the Quakers have quality upfront, but they are not the most resolute defending. Whilst they do currently have a cushion on eighth place, it could go right down to the wire as to whether Darlington cling on for a play-off place.

Scarborough

Current position: 7^th, 63pts

Games remaining: 5

Home: Spennymoor, Merthyr

Away: Darlington, Buxton, Bedford

Current form (last 6): 11^th, 10pts

Average PPG of remaining opponents: 1.49

Comment: Whatever happens, Scarborough have had a magnificent season and overachieved. Whilst they’ve not been able to sustain their brilliant start, they’ve remained firmly entrenched in the play-offs for the most part and continue to pick up points. The Seadogs are unbeaten in seven games, but five of these have ended in draws, which could end up costing them dearly given that four of their remaining five fixtures are against their play-off rivals.

Telford

Current position: 8^th, 61pts

Games remaining: 5

Home: Kidderminster, Darlington

Away: Chester, Peterborough, Southport

Current form (last 6): 13^th, 8pts

Average PPG of remaining opponents: 1.39

Comment: After a superb run, Telford are just starting to run out of steam at a vital time in the season. Just two wins in their last six (one of them against Macclesfield), which include a damaging defeat against basement side Leamington and a home draw against struggling Bedford. With star striker Matt Stenson still out injured, the Bucks are not looking as threatening in front of goal.

It’s still in Telford’s hands though given they have Kidderminster, Darlington and Chester to play, plus away trips to relegation threatened Peterborough and an in-form Southport (but who have nothing to play for). Don’t count Telford out!

Buxton

Current position: 9^th, 60pts

Games remaining: 6

Home: Macclesfield, Scarborough, Leamington

Away: Worksop, Alfreton, Curzon

Current form (last 6): 15pts, 1st

Average PPG of remaining opponents: 1.24

Comment: Buxton are on the coat tails of teams in the play-offs having capitalised on a very charitable run of fixtures to accumulate 15pts from their last 6 games. With by far the easiest run-in of any play-off contender, the Bucks look a great bet to secure a top 7 finish. Good Friday’s clash against the Silkmen at Buxton will be huge – if the Bucks can draw or win that they will be in a strong position to earn a play-off spot for the second consecutive season.

Chester

Current position: 10^th, 60pts

Games remaining: 5

Home: Telford, Fylde, King’s Lynn

Away: Macclesfield, Oxford

Current form (last 6): 13pts, 6th

Average PPG of remaining opponents: 1.56

Comment: Chester’s seasoned looked doomed, however the departure of much-maligned manager Callum McIntyre and subsequent appointment of caretaker Connor Rawlinson has sparked the Seals into life. Seven wins in 11 have given Chester a chance of making the play-offs, with a huge game against the Silkmen on Easter Monday to come in front of a bumper crowd.

The Seals are in the ascendency, but also accident prone as evidenced by their defeats to Hereford (5-2) and Southport (2-1) in recent weeks. There’s little margin for error for Chester in their five remaining, tough games and they may just run out of time to make the play-offs, not helped by their -3 goal difference.

Spennymoor

Current position: 11^th, 60pts

Games remaining: 6

Home: Kidderminster, South Shields, Worksop, Marine

Away: Scarborough, Macclesfield

Current form (last 6): 5^th, 13pts

Average PPG of remaining opponents: 1.53

Comment: Spennymoor have been sneaking up on the blindside, slowly but surely creeping up the table and are now just three points outside of the play-offs following four wins in five. Their run-in though is amongst the most challenging of any of the chasing pack – Kidderminster, South Shields, Marine, Scarborough and the Silkmen all to come which makes them outsiders to break into the play-offs. Spennymoor have finished eighth in the last two seasons, and the smart money is on them to agonisingly miss out again, particularly given their goal difference currently stands at an eyewatering -9 which is by far the worst of any play-off contender.

Radcliffe

Current position: 12^th, 56pts

Games remaining: 7

Home: Kidderminster, Curzon, South Shields, Macclesfield

Away: Worksop, Fylde, Hereford

Current form (last 6): 24^th, 1 pt

Average PPG of remaining opponents: 1.61

Comment: Six defeats in seven and a nightmare run-in to come, Radcliffe’s play-off hopes are in ruin. They’ve slipped from 5^th in January to 12^th and it would take a miracle now for them to address this slide in fortune to have a remote chance of competing for the play-offs. Radcliffe’s players should be on the beach when they entertain the Silkmen on the final day.

Marine

Current position: 13^th, 55pts

Games remaining: 9

Home: Chorley, Hereford, Merthyr, Alfreton

Away: Fylde, Southport, Darlington, Hereford, Spennymoor

Current form (last 6): 16^th, 7pts

Average PPG of remaining opponents: 1.34

Comment: Marine can now concentrate on the league following their gallant FA Trophy semi-final defeat to Wealdstone. They are the rank outsiders to make the play-offs – currently eight points adrift of seventh, but they have as many as four games in hand on their rivals. However, 9 fixtures in 26 days between now and the end of the season will put enormous strain on Marine’s threadbare squad, although their run-in looks relatively favourable on paper. The Mariners will probably need to win 6 more games to stand a chance – not impossible, but with fatigue thrown into the mix a play-off place looks beyond them.

The Silkmen News predictions

Champions: AFC Fylde

2^nd: South Shields

3^rd: Kidderminster Harriers

4^th: Macclesfield FC

5^th: Buxton

6^th: Darlington

7^th Telford

Tired legs after playing back-to-back on Saturdays and Tuesdays since the turn of the year, or simply a bad day at the office? Possibly a combination of both. Either way, the players and coaches have been magnificent during Macclesfield’s climb up the table from 15th to 6th.

Despite Tuesday’s setback, we’re still in a strong position to secure a play-off spot with ten league games remaining. In terms of the maths, see my previous analysis on the race for the National League North play-offs and the likely points total needed to secure 7th place or higher in the table.

Following Tuesday’s results, I think Macclesfield will need between 72 and 74 points to get over the line. We currently have 61 points from 36 games, so possibly require four more victories from our final ten matches. Doable on paper, although as Brian Clough once uttered: “Football is played on grass” and the Silkmen’s run-in is tougher than most of the other chasing play-off pack.

Scroll further down for reasons to be optimistic!

There are lots of reasons for Silkmen fans to remain positive, and if you scroll further down this article you will find some interesting stats and analysis which compare our dramatic improvement in form from the 20 league games up to 26 December (including our Boxing Day loss to Buxton), and from our subsequent 15 league games from 30th December (starting with the 2-0 loss vs Chester) until 14 March (prior to our defeat to Telford - I’d crunched the data prior to Tuesday night, for context!).

Telford analysis - what went wrong?

Firstly, it’s worth making the point that we lost to a very good side who have been on a similar form trajectory to Macclesfield FC, adapting from a slow start having gained promotion from Step 3 last season.

Not dissimilar to league leaders AFC Fylde, Telford have a clear possession-based style and their team is littered with talented young footballers who are likely to attract interest from National League clubs (and possibly above!) in the summer.

18-year-old goalkeeper Josh Gracey has impressed on a season-long loan from Wolves. I really like the look of cultured centre back Oliver Cawthorne who scored Telford’s opener against us. Cawthorne joined Telford having played for clubs in Venezuela and Panama, and his actual nationality is Venezuelan due to his parents originally working there as journalists. Box-to-box midfielder Thakgalo Leshabela was a real handful - he started at Leicester U21’s before playing in South Africa and returning to the English non-league pyramid. Whilst full-back Ammar Dyer, who provided a perfect through ball for Telford’s second, is comfortable on the ball and attracting admiring glances from teams higher up.

Upfront Telford have the dangerous Remi Walker (ex-Birmingham City youth) who has bagged 14 league goals, including scoring at the Leasing.com stadium when Macclesfield and The Bucks drew 1-1 earlier in the season. Top scorer Matt Stenson (16 goals) has been sidelined with a toe injury, but in Adan George Telford have found an able deputy. Released by Halifax in the summer and beset by injuries, George has recently returned to full fitness and is a dangerous marksman. His two goals against the Silkmen (one via the penalty spot) takes his tally to 9 goals from 13 starts.

The point I’m making is that Telford are getting better and better, and Bucks manager Kevin Wilkin has made some very shrewd acquisitions. While their form has been patchy of late, Telford will be a serious threat IF they make the play-offs and losing to them is no disgrace.

Poor goals conceded

Macclesfield never recovered from going a goal behind after two minutes - a corner floated in which somehow evaded all Silkmen players and was turned in at close range by Cawthorne. Abysmal defending, poor marking. However, the corner itself was entirely preventable.

Kacper Pasiek embarked on a foray forward, but his underhit pass intended for James Gale was intercepted. Telford then cleverly switched play to the right channel to fill the void that Pasiek had left behind. Pasiek wasn’t quick enough to get back, nor could he prevent the inswinging cross that followed which Rogan Ravenhill couldn’t gather cleanly under pressure. Ravenhill then received lengthy treatment before the subsequent corner was taken. Everything from our attacking build-up to how we defended the eventual corner leading to the first goal was just sloppy.

Telford’s second goal was good play rather than poor defending from the Silkmen. But it did highlight how we struggle with speed and movement. A perfect pass from Dyer was placed inside Cameron Borthwick-Jackson into the path of George who made no mistake.

Our response in the second half was disappointingly flat. Isaac Buckley-Ricketts missed a huge chance to halve the defecit and we never really looked like getting back into it until Telford capped a fine performance to make it 3-0 from the spot.

The Silkmen needed reinforcements following the sale of D’Mani Mellor and Josh Kay’s latest suspension after his red card against Chorley. At least new arrivals Anjola Popoola (on loan from Accrington) and Theo Chapman (signed from Scarborough) got 20 minutes to familiarise themselves with their new teammates.

Match stats

Possession: Telford 49%, Macc 51%

Total shots: Telford 8, Macc 12

Shots on target: Telford 5, Macclesfield 5

Corners: Telford 4, Macclesfield 3

There’s no getting away from this being a disappointing performance from the Silkmen, but I do think there has been an over-reaction from some as to how ‘bad’ we played. This wasn’t of AFC Flyde proportions - Telford were simply more clinical and managed the second half relatively comfortably as we huffed and puffed.

The big penalty decisions didn’t go our way, and on another day Buckley-Ricketts may have scored two goals.

Player ratings

Ravenhill 6.5 - Fairly, or otherwise, I feel like I’m scrutinising his every move, but some of his erratic performances have warranted that and Tuesday was another example. Could he have done better to gather the cross cleanly to prevent the corner which led to Telford’s opener? He was under pressure… But do you expect your ‘keeper to be stronger in claiming the corner once it was floated in? Possibly…. but our defenders should have dealt with it, the penalty box was crowded, and Ravenhill had just been clattered and needed treatment.

In the second half he made a fine smothering save after Menayese gifted Telford possession, showing agility and bravery to come off his line. But… it was Ravenhill’s poor clearance which put Menayese under pressure in the first place which resulted in Rollin’s eventual error. Ravenhill is like a box of chocolates - you never know what you’re going to get.

Matheson 8 - our best player, and one of the few to emerge with any credit from a difficult evening. Going forward he was our most likely threat - he whipped in four crosses, one of which almost saw Buckley-Ricketts turn in Gale’s flick to draw us level. In total, Matheson made 2 ‘key passes’ which led to a goalscoring opportunity. Defensively Matheson was also sound - winning 6 out of 10 ground duels, in addition to making 2 interceptions and 1 clearance.

Heathcote 7.5 - good numbers from Sam who did his best to hold the defence together. He won 9 out 12 ground and aerial duels and recovered the ball 15 times. His passing accuracy was also high at 81%. He did touch the ball (68 times) more than any other Silkmen player, which perhaps tells its own story as we struggled to find any penetration in midfield. Was pushed up front as an emergency striker late in the second half.

Borthwick-Jackson 6 - limped off after 55 minutes after going down of his own accord with no one near him, which is a major concern given his fine form. It looked like a muscle injury which makes him a major doubt for Saturday’s fixture against Hereford. He lost George for Telford’s second goal, but his defensive numbers were good apart from that - 5 out of 6 aerial duels won and 88% passing accuracy.

Pasiek 6 - subbed at half-time for Lacey as manager John Rooney tried to shore up the left side which had a difficult first half. Pasiek’s loose pass to Gale turned possession over which eventually led to Telford’s first goal. It set the tone for the remainder of the half as his passing accuracy was only 56%. He only won 2 of his 8 ground duels, so can’t really have any arguments with Rooney’s decision. We did look more solid down the left when Lacey came on.

Edmondson 6.5 - struggled to impose himself against a very polished Telford midfield and didn’t have any attempts on goal. Was decent on the ball - 4 out of 4 successful dribbles, 73% passing accuracy with 2 key passes. But less effective without it - just 5 out of 16 ground and aerial duels won. James was also dribbled past on 3 occasions, highlighting that he struggled to deal with Telford’s speed and movement at times.

Osborne 5 - ‘Ozzy’ has been excellent since coming in from Altrincham, but he had a ‘mare’ against Telford. He’s normally so composed in possession but his overall passing accuracy was 67%, and just 43% accuracy for passes played in Telford’s half, whilst just 3 of his 10 attempted long balls found a Macclesfield shirt which is an area he usually excels in.

Osborne wasn’t given the time and space in the engine room that he is normally accustomed to. He was dribbled past twice and made 2 errors which directly led to Telford shots. Replaced by debutant Popoola on 70 mins who went upfront.

Dawson 6.5 - tried in vain to get us back into the game and was clearly frustrated at the end. The captain attempted four shots, all from distance, of which 3 were on target without really troubling the keeper. Off the ball he made 3 tackles but surprisingly won only 4 of 19 contested ground duels.

With the ball our captain wasn’t as effective as he normally is - 66% passing accuracy and only 2 out of 8 accurate long balls. A frustrating evening was capped by him conceding a penalty in injury time for a foul on George - there seemed minimal contact, but Dawson’s attempts to grab George round the shoulder to check his run obviously made the referee’s mind up.

Duffy 7.5 - Will be disappointed by his defending on the front post for Telford’s corner which led to them scoring. Along with Matheson though he was our brightest threat. Was unlucky not to win a penalty on ten minutes - it looked like the defender tugged his shirt from my vantage point? Could Duffy have stayed on his feet? Yes, I think he could and probably should of as the contact on him wasn’t strong. He was in a goalscoring position, 12 yards out, allbeit on his left foot.

In the second half he laid on a brilliant chance for Buckley-Ricketts to make it 2-1 which was spurned. Good numbers from Duffs overall - 2 key passes, 4 out of 5 accurate long balls and 81% passing accuracy in Telford’s half.

Gale 5.5 - put in two hard shifts away at Darlington and Marine, and I thought he looked weary against Curzon on Saturday. But following Mellor’s departure he’s having to do more work and was largely isolated against Telford. His flick from Matheson’s cross almost produced an equaliser, but other than that was ineffective. Just 1 out of 21 ground and aerial duels won suggests mentally and physically Gale is running on empty. Needs a rest, hopefully the loan signing of Popoola can take away some of the burden on him upfront currently.

Buckley-Ricketts 6 - almost equalised but couldn’t turn in Gale’s flick at full-stretch. Missed a guilt-edged chance when put through by Duffy. The keeper was quickly off his line to close the distance, but Buckley-Ricketts’ shot was straight at him. Didn’t carry the same threat as Duffy on the opposite flank, or provide enough steel to alleviate some of the pressure on Pasiek in the first half.

Subs:

Lacey 6.5 - was an improvement for Pasiek on at half-time. Made 5 defensive contributions (1 tackle, 1 interception and 3 clearances), though won only 1 of 7 ground duels. Was tidier on the ball than Pasiek - 72% passing accuracy compared to 56%.

Menayese 5.5 - on for the injured Borthwick-Jackson. Almost gifted Telford a goal when conceding possession in a dangerous area, only for Ravenhill to make a fine save. Interesting to note that he made 29 passes when coming on after 55 minutes - that’s only 3 less than Dawson made in the entire game! I think Rollin having more of the ball highlights how ineffective we were in midfield, even when we were trying to chase the game!

Popoola 6 - did ok, and almost found himself one-on-one with the keeper but was adjudged to have committed a foul. Looks to have decent mobility and strength, knows the National League North well, could be a decent signing.

Chapman 6.5 - had one lofted effort after replacing Buckley-Ricketts on 70 minutes. Kept the ball well (5 out of 5 passes completed) and made one pass which led to a shot. A promising debut for the winger signed from Scarborough.

Now for some good news…

Inspired by supporter Rob Vernon who commented on Macclesfield’s excellent form and increased goalscoring threat since the start of 2026 on the Macc FC Fans Facebook page, I decided to run some comparisons on how we have improved before and after 26 December. Or more specifically, with and without star striker Danny Elliott.

For the avoidance of doubt, I’m in no way implying that we are more effective without Elliott. But certainly John Rooney has had to adapt and change our style of play from a rigid 4-2-3-1 formation, to a more fluid 4-3-3 or 4-1-4-1 set-up. Imagine how potent we’d be if Elliott was fit right now!

Our attacking and defensive numbers for the 20 league games, up to and including Buxton on 26 December, compared to our 15 league games from Chester on 30 December to Curzon Ashton on 14 March.

Up to Buxton (26 December)

• 20 league games

• 27 goals scored = 1.35 goals per game

• Our expected goals (xG) figure was 27.86. So we scored as many goals as we were expected to based on the quality of chances created

• Danny Elliott was our top scorer with 11, contributing 40% of our league goals

• 10 different goalscorers

• Average number of shots per game: 11.6

• Average number of shots on target per game: 4.4

• Average number of shots in the box per game: 6.75

• 30 goals conceded = 1.5 goals per game

• Our goals conceded xG figure was 24.56 - 6 more goals than we were expected to concede based on the quality of the chances we gave up

Up to Curzon (14 March)

• 15 league games

• 38 goals scored = 2.53 goals per game, an increase of 87% on our first 20 league games

• Our expected goals (xG) figure was 28.29. So we scored 10 more goals than we were expected to, but our finishing was of a much higher quality

• 10 different goalscorers: Mellor 8, Gale 7, Duffy 6, Dawson 4, Edmondson 3, Buckley-Ricketts 3, Kay 2, Pasiek, Osborne and Heathcote (1 each), with 2 OGs

• Average number of shots per game: 13.7 - an increase of 18%

• Average number of shots on target per game: 5.8 - an increase of 31%

• Average number of shots in the box per game: 8.46 - an increase of 25%

• 23 goals conceded = 1.5 goals per game

• Our goals conceded xG figure was 18.63, 5 more goals than we were expected to concede based on the quality of the chances we gave up (think the lobs conceded vs Leamington, Fylde and Scarborough as a case in point!)

• So despite a much bigger emphasis being placed on attacking, or defensive numbers (although not great!) have hardly changed

Keep the faith

I’m a typical glass-half-empty person. And even though I’m still sulking following our loss to Telford, I wanted to publish these numbers because I think they show how well the team has done and that we’re still in with a great chance of making the play-offs, even though we’ll face some nervy moments en-route.

It is, however, crucial that we get back-on-track against a resurgent (but still relegation haunted) Hereford on Saturday. Losing three games back-to-back at home seems almost unthinkable, but the pressure is undoubtedly on the Silkmen.

The players need us more than ever, so let’s do everything we can to give them a lift.

Here’s a review of the main talking points from Curzon yesterday to include various stats and player ratings.

Cruise control at Curzon

Goals in each half from the scintillating James Edmondson and Luke Duffy saw the Silkmen cruise to victory at the Nash, registering their first away clean sheet since beating Leamington 1-0 in October. Macc started brightly with James Gale and Paul Dawson going close, but then fell a bit flat.

The game was delayed for fifteen minutes whilst a Silkmen supporter received treatment following a medical episode. Thankfully the gentleman is ok. Ironically, the break in play seemed to galvanise Macclesfield and we resumed on the front foot. Birthday-boy Isaac Buckley-Ricketts’ backpost cross was converted at close range by the onrushing Edmondson to make it 1-0 on 37 minutes.

Curzon rarely threatened, with the exception of a free-kick from former Silkman Alex Curran which Rogan Ravenhill got the faintest of touches on to turn it over the bar. Macc began the second half in the ascendency. Luke Duffy narrowly failed to turn in Gale’s cross, but then Duffy atoned by drilling in an effort from just inside the area to double our advantage. 0-2.

It might have been three had Edmondson’s stinging effort not struck the woodwork, and the Silkmen also had a penalty shout turned down for handball. Overall, a professional and comfortable performance from Macclesfield who are now looking up the table to see if they can catch fourth-placed Kidderminster (who drew against Chester) and wobbling Merthyr (who lost to Spennymoor).

If we can emerge with a draw or a victory in Tuesday’s tricky test away at play-off rivals Telford, the Silkmen will really be in the box-seat.

Match stats

Possession: Curzon 43%, Macc 57%

Total shots: Curzon 8, Macc 20

Shots on target: Curzon 4, Macc 4

Shots off target: Curzon 4, Macc 16

Corners: Curzon 2, Macc 6

Player ratings

Ravenhill 7.5 – a much more assured performance from Rogan who kept his second clean sheet in seven appearances. Nothing spectacular, but thankfully, no hearts in mouths moments either. Four saves in total (two inside the box) – the pick being a sprawling dive to keep out Weston’s well drilled effort mid-way through the second half. Rogan’s passing accuracy is also improving – 88% against Marine and 78% yesterday, compared to just 46% at Darlington.

Matheson 7 – made his seventh consecutive start and has been really consistent since returning from injury in mid-December after being sidelined for almost four months. Defensively he surprisingly won only 1 of his 7 duels, although it’s hard to recall Matheson being unduly troubled. As always, he got forward in an attempt to support our attacks – 13 of his 20 passes were in Curzon’s half with an accuracy rate of 85%.

Heathcote 8 – really good, particularly in the second half when Sam made a crucial block at point-blank range to prevent substitute Stubbs from pulling a goal back. Strong, commanding and unruffled throughout – 6 defensive contributions (3 interceptions, 2 clearances and 1 blocked shot) underline Heathcote’s solid contribution yesterday. I felt Sam needed a rest physically and mentally after Brentford, and since returning to the side at Scarborough he’s been in fine form. Curzon attempted 5 through balls compared to none from Macclesfield – they tried to play through us centrally but invariably Heathcote and Borthwick-Jackson closed the door.

Borthwick-Jackson 8.5 – proper Rolls-Royce performance by CBJ yesterday who is flourishing at centre back alongside Heathcote. He makes the game look really easy at this level, with and without the ball. With it, his passing accuracy was 89% overall including 15 out of 18 successful passes in Curzon’s half which is impressive. The highlights will show Buckley-Ricketts’ assist for Edmondson’s opener, however they may not show CBJ’s intelligent run into the penalty area in the build-up to create space and occupy Curzon’s defenders. He then laid the ball back and Isaac and Edo did the rest.

Defensively, Cameron was exceptional. He won 7 of 12 ground and aerial duels, and is becoming more dominant in the air following two strong performances against Marine and Curzon – 4 of 6 aerial duels won yesterday and 5 out of 6 aerial duels won against the physical threat of Marine on Tuesday. At Curzon, CBJ made 4 defensive contributions (1 crunching tackle, 1 interception, 1 interception and 1 blocked shot).

He also reads the game so well and is in the right place at the right time – Borthwick-Jackson made a whopping 16 ‘recoveries’, a term used to describe a player retrieving possession as the result of winning a second ball, such as collecting / intercepting a misplaced pass. He’s so important to allowing us to play on the front foot.

Pasiek 6.5 – didn’t carry the ball as much as he did at Marine on Tuesday, but then again he didn’t need to as Buckley-Ricketts was giving Curzon fits further forward. Kacper’s job was to keep it tight up against the dangerous Curzon forward Weston who has bagged 13 goals for the Nash this season. Kacper was largely second best against his dangerous opponent – just 3 of 12 ground duels won, however this rarely presented Curzon with any clearcut openings.

Osborne 7.5 – like Borthwick-Jackson, ‘Ozzy’ is a bit like a fine wine at this level. He strolls, rather than struts across the turf, and is a quietly effective screener in front of the back four. 78% overall passing accuracy with 13 of 15 completed passes in our own half – Osborne rarely gives the ball away. And his defensive diligence has been crucial in allowing the likes of Dawson, Kay and Edmondson to get forward more often and express themselves in an attacking sense. See below for more context on this.

Dawson 7.5 – great to have the skipper back following his two-game suspension. He went close with an effort from a corner early on which sailed narrowly wide and also had a long-range effort which failed to trouble the keeper in the first half. Generally, Dawson bossed the midfield and took the game to Curzon – 3 out of 3 successful dribbles, 2 shots, 2 interceptions and 69 touches of the ball – the highest of any Silkmen player.

Edmondson 8.5 – I think Edmondson has really stepped up a gear over the last month. He’s becoming more dominant, more dynamic and more of a threat in the final third. He was outstanding yesterday – 5 shots in total, which included scoring our opening goal and hitting the post late on. 82% passing accuracy, including 15 out of 19 completed passes in Curzon’s half.

James can also put his foot in when needed – 2 defensive contributions (both interceptions), and he won 7 out of 10 ground and aerial duels. A really complete midfield performance from the 20 year-old who is showing his best form at a crucial time in the season.

Duffy 8 – excellent energy, persistence and dangerous throughout. Duffy really grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck after the interval – 4 efforts on goal in 6 minutes, his final one seeing him make it 2-0 with a strong, accurate drive into the net. Duffs has been a revelation so far in 2026 and is so much more effective playing further forward in a 4-3-3 formation.

As well as his goal yesterday he made 3 ‘key passes’, which are passes which directly lead to a teammate having an attempt on goal. Give Duffy the ball and he’s more likely than not to create something.

Buckley-Ricketts 7.5 – the birthday boy (now 28) built on his impressive performance against Marine with an effective pain-in-the-a**e type showing against his former club. Isaac was in the mood yesterday and was a constant menace against Curzon giving full-back Richards a torrid afternoon. IBR had 5 out of 8 successful dribbles, two shots including a curler which went narrowly wide, and made 1 key pass. He was always looking to get to the byline, and whilst not everything came off, IBR was always dangerous.

Gale 7.5 – the big man has done brilliantly since arriving from Altrincham (7 goals in 11), but he’s left his shooting boots at home over the last week. After missing good chances against Chorley and Marine (I know he scored at the end), he also missed another very presentable opportunity early on against Curzon. It was similar to some of his other recent misses, in that he did brilliantly to work the opening but then screwed his shot wide.

I don’t want to be too critical of James though as notably he is working so much harder for the team since Mellor’s departure. 50 touches yesterday, including 5 out of 6 successful dribbles – for a gentle giant he’s quite nimble on his feet! He also made 2 key passes, including laying on an excellent cross for Duffy at the start of the second half which was begging to be converted.

My worry about James is that we’re relying too heavily on him as our sole striker. He’s taken excellent responsibility and has shown there’s much more to his game than just goals. However, Rooney and co need to look after him otherwise he’s going to burn out.

This edition of The Silkmen News will focus on the play-off picture itself which is constantly evolving. But it’s time to try and make sense of the unfolding drama.

How many points will be needed to make the play-offs this year?

In the last three seasons, 77, 75 and as low as 68 points have been sufficient to secure seventh place and the final play-off berth, equating to a high of 1.67 points-per-game (PPG) and a low of 1.47 PPG.

This year the NLN is ultra-competitive, literally any team can beat anyone and invariably does, which is likely to result in a lower points total to guarantee a play-off spot. Looking at current PPG totals, the form guide and the remaining fixtures of the play-off contenders, I estimate that between a low of 71 points and a high of 74 pointswill be enough to get over the line.

For context, Macclesfield currently have 58 points from 34 games, which equates to a PPG of 1.71. If we can maintain this for the next 12 remaining league games (starting with Curzon tomorrow), we’ll finish on 78 points, which should comfortably earn us a top seven finish. And perhaps even more crucially, this may be enough to earn us third, fourth or fifth place in the final table which will guarantee us home advantage in either the play-off quarter final (if we finish 4^th or 5^th), or the semi-final (if we finish 3^rd).

As a reminder, the play-off quarter-finals pit fourth vs seventh, and fifth vs sixth. The winners of those one-off ties play away at the teams who came second and third in the league in the semi-final, with the winners of those games meeting in the final. The highest ranked play-off team is granted home advantage. Last season’s NLN play-offs unfolded like this:

Quarter-finals

Chester (4^th) beat Buxton (7^th) 2-1 after extra-time

Chorley (5^th) beat King’s Lynn (6^th) 1-0

Semi-finals

Scunthorpe (2^nd) beat Chorley 4-1

Kidderminster (3^rd) lost 2-1 at home to Chester

Final

Scunthorpe (2^nd) beat Chester (4^th) 2-1 after extra-time and were promoted to the National League.

For now, let’s just focus on making the play-offs first and foremost! The league title and automatic promotion will be decided between South Shields and AFC Fylde, but everyone from third-placed Merthyr to 14^th placed Chorley (at a miracle!) still have an outside chance of making the play-offs. Realistically, the race for the top seven will be contested from Merthyr on 66 points (38 games) and Chester currently occupying tenth position (56 pts, 38 games).

What makes it so difficult (and fascinating!) to predict the final table, is because some teams have as many as 12 games remaining (Macclesfield and Marine), whilst Chester, Merthyr and Scarborough have only eight. The fixtures are coming thick and fast, with many teams playing twice a week between now and the end of the regular season on 25^th April. Injuries, suspensions, last-ditch new signings (and departures!) could have a huge influence on a team’s play-off destiny.

The contenders

Merthyr Town

Current standing: 3^rd, 66pts from 38 games

Run-in: 4 at home, 4 away

Form guide (last 6): 8^th place with 9pts

Comment: It would be a huge surprise if Merthyr didn’t make the play-offs, but don’t let their recent form guide fool you. Since losing prolific striker Ricardo Rees to Forest Green at the turn of the year, the Martyrs have effectively been in free-fall as they dropped out of the automatic promotion race.

To put this into perspective, on 1 January the Welsh side sat third on 50pts, four behind Fylde and six behind South Shields having played the same number of games. Merthyr’s 2026 league record reads: played 14, won 6, lost 7, drawn 1. They actually won their first three games of 2026, but since then have lost 7 out of 11, with two of their three wins coming against lowly Leamington and Bedford. As a consequence, they now sit 13 points behind Fylde and 15 behind South Shields.

It would take a major collapse for the Martyrs not to make the play-offs from here. However… the average PPG totals of their remaining opponents stands at 1.59, the highest of any of the current top ten teams in the table, which suggests Merthyr have the toughest run-in. From a Silkmen perspective, arguably you’d want Merthyr to scrape into the play-offs - based on their current form, and without Ricardo Rees, they would be very much outsiders to secure promotion.

Kidderminster Harriers

Current standing: 4^th, 65pts from 35 games

Run-in: 4 at home, 7 away

Form guide (last 6): 2^nd place with 14pts

Comment: The Harriers have bounced back well from a blip which saw them trounced 5-1 at the Leasing.comstadium and are now on a six-game unbeaten, winning their last three which has put them only a point behind Merthyr in third.

Kidderminster have endured a massive turnover of players over the course of this season which has impacted the quality of their performances and potency in front of goal under manager Adam Murray. But 4-0 triumphs over Marine and Peterborough Sports, combined with a 3-1 victory away at Buxton, suggests they’ve turned a corner and now look favourite to land third place in the table.

The Harriers face play-off chasing Chester at home next, followed by a run of five consecutive away fixtures which include difficult games against Radcliffe and Darlington, which could check their momentum. With a nine-point cushion currently to eighth placed Darlington, Kidderminster are almost guaranteed a play-off place.

Macclesfield FC

Current standing: 5^th, 58pts from 34 games

Run-in: 4 at home, 8 away

Form guide (last 6): 7th place with 10pts

Comment: The Silkmen climbed to fifth, their highest place of the season after an excellent 4-2 win at Marine on Tuesday night to bounce back from Saturday’s shock home defeat to Chorley. The Moss Rose has been a fortress for much of this campaign, however back-to-back defeats in front of our own fans against Chorley have Fylde have piled on the pressure for John Rooney’s men to pick up more points on the road which has been lacking.

After winning only three of their opening ten away fixtures, Macc have won three of their last five (one draw, one defeat), collecting an excellent return of seven points against fellow play-off hopefuls Scarborough (2-2), Darlington (2-1) and Marine (4-2). We’ll need to continue this trajectory given that eight of our remaining 12 fixtures are away, including testing trips to AFC Telford, Buxton, Merthyr, South Shields and Radcliffe on the final day.

A play-off position is in Macclesfield’s hands now after a strong turnaround in 2026 which has seen us win nine of 13 league games. Rooney’s men probably need another four or five victories from their remaining games to make certain – no easy feat considering our challenging run-in, alongside the backdrop of the sale of striker D’Mani Mellor and Josh Kay’s ban following his third sending off of the season. The Silkmen are trying to bring in reinforcements, which could make the difference between us finishing strongly in the play-offs or facing a nerve-jangling scrap for 7^th place.

Scarborough Athletic

Current standing: 6^th, 58pts from 38 games

Run-in: 4 at home, 4 away

Form guide (last 6): 10th place with 9pts

Comment: Whatever happens Scarborough have had a magnificent season to be in the play-off mix, given their financial challenges and that they’ve had to temporarily move from their own stadium and play their home fixtures at neighbours Bridlington Town’s ground 17 miles away. The Seadogs have been in and around the top seven for the majority of this campaign, showing resilience to recover from patchy runs of form.

Currently unbeaten in five, and statistically facing the easiest run-in of the current top ten, Scarborough are a live bet to make the play-offs despite having played more fixtures than most. Their remaining eight opponents have a combined PPG of just 1.26, although this stat is skewed given they have to play doomed Leamington and free-falling Bedford Town.

AFC Telford

Current standing: 7^th, 56pts from 37 games

Run-in: 5 at home, 4 away

Form guide (last 6): 11th place with 8pts

Comment: Like Macclesfield Telford have done exceptionally well to come up from Step 3, recover from a poor start and surge up the table after a string of fine wins, most notably an 8-0 annihilation away at Curzon. For the data geeks amongst us (it can’t just be me?), Telford are a good example of a team’s early results significantly failing to replicate their expected goals (xG) totals as The Bucks missed a host of presentable goalscoring chances.

But in striker Matt Stenson (16 goals) and attacking midfielder Remi Walker (14 goals), Telford are a handful going forward. They are going through a sticky patch though, just two wins in their last six, which also includes a damaging 2-1 loss to Leamington and a disappointing 0-0 at relegation-threatened Oxford.

With the Silkmen, Marine, Chester, Kidderminster and Darlington to play in their remaining games Telford will need to rally, and quickly, if their play-off ambitions are not to fizzle out.

The chasing pack

Darlington

Current standing: 8^th, 56pts from 36 games

Run-in: 6 at home, 4 away

Form guide (last 6): 9th place with 9pts

Comments: Darlington were flying – six wins in eight, but they’ve now lost their last three games against the Silkmen, Chester and Buxton which has seem them tumble out of the play-offs. But a couple of wins could quickly change that, and in fact only two points separate Macclesfield in fifth and Chester in tenth.

The Quakers have a far from ideal run-in, however, which includes a nightmare four-game spell against Kidderminster, Fylde, Scarborough and South Shields which could go a long way to determining their play-off fate. It could go down to the wire and Darlington’s current +13 goal difference is the best of any team outside of the top seven by some distance which may prove pivotal.

Radcliffe

Current standing: 9^th, 56pts from 37 games

Run-in: 4 at home, 5 away

Form guide (last 6): 14th place with 7pts

Comment: The wheels have been slowly coming off Radcliffe’s play-off charge since the turn of this year, after The Boro looked in pole position to secure a top seven place after thumping play-off rivals Merthyr (5-0), Kidderminster (5-1), Scarborough (3-0) and Darlington (3-1). But ultimately it’s all about how many points you acquire, not about who you beat to acquire them.

Without a win in four (three losses), combined with the loss of joint manager Anthony Johnson who has left to take over at Bury (though former joint boss Bernard Morley has been put in sole charge), has knocked the wind out of Radcliffe’s sails. They still have Kidderminster and back-to-back fixtures against Fylde and South Shields to play, not to mention the Silkmen at home on the final day.

Like Scarborough, Radcliffe have been a surprise package this season, but look set to run out of steam at the most crucial time.

Chester

Current standing: 10^th, 56pts from 38 games

Run-in: 4 at home, 4 away

Form guide (last 6): 1st place with 15pts

Comment: What a rock and roll season its been for Chester. A disastrous start, supporter calls for longstanding manager Calum McIntyre to step down, then an announcement that McIntyre would leave at the end of the season, only to subsequently leave his post with immediate effect on 28 February.

The period between the announcement of McIntyre’s impending departure and confirmed subsequent exit has seen Chester win six out of their last eight games, with interim boss Connell Rawlinson making it three victories out of three since taking the reins. This unlikely run of form has catapulted Chester into the play-off picture, but can they sustain it and gatecrash the top seven?

After Merthyr and Radcliffe, Chester statistically have the hardest run-in based on the combined PPG totals of their remaining opponents (1.51) which include Kidderminster, a resurgent Southport, Telford, Macclesfield and Fylde. But if they remain in the mix after that, their final two fixtures against Oxford City and King’s Lynn offer the Seals genuine hope of rescuing a promotion push which previously looked impossible.

The outsiders

Buxton

Current standing: 11^th, 48pts from 36 games

Run-in: 4 at home, 6 away

Form guide (last 6): 20th place with 6pts

Comment: Buxton occupied the final play-off place last season and were expected to build on this success this campaign. But they’ve been wildly inconsistent for long periods, losing almost half (16) of their league fixtures so far. Two wins in their last three over Merthyr and Darlington have given the Bucks the faintest of hopes. Their run-in too (combined PPG of 1.21) is by far the easiest of any remaining play-off contender.

However, Buxton’s own current PPG is 1.33. They’re going to need to average something like 2.3 PPG over their last ten games to stand any chance, which based on the streaky form for the majority of this season seems absurd.

Marine

Current standing: 12^th, 48pts from 34 games

Run-in: 5 at home, 7 away

Form guide (last 6): 13th place with 7pts

Comment: Three defeats in a row, including Tuesday’s setback at home to the Silkmen, have given Marine a mountain to climb. But they have games in hand on all of the play-off contenders (except us), and as many as three and four games in hand on Telford (7^th, 56pts) and Scarborough (6^th, 58pts) respectively so all is not lost.

Marine have a less taxing run-in, but an FA Trophy semi-final against Wealdstone is likely to be command their attention possibly over a late push for a play-off position. The Mariners’ estimated final points tally is 65 points, which won’t be enough to make the play-offs.

Final predictions

Automatic promotion: AFC Flylde

Second: South Shields

Third: Kidderminster Harriers

Fourth: Macclesfield FC

Fifth: Merthyr Town

Sixth: Darlington

Seventh: Scarborough Athletic

I’ll regularly review the Silkmen’s progress as the drama unfolds, but based on these predictions, don’t go booking any holidays until after the 25^th April just yet!

Jokes aside, the debate over who should be the Silkmen’s number one rages on with opinion divided in favour of Max Dearnley and recent loan signing Rogan Ravenhill.

So it’s high time the Silkmen News waded in with some thoughts and analysis of our own, supported with analysis rather than being led by sentiment.

John Rooney’s decision to prefer new signing Rogan Ravenhill between the sticks in preference to established no.1 Max Dearnley has been the talk of the terraces recently.

Ravenhill, signed on loan from League One Barnsley until the end of the season, had caught Rooney’s eye during his previously impressive loan spell at National League North bottom club Leamington. This included a standout performance in restricting Macc to a solitary goal when they defeated Leamington on their own patch in October.

The 6 ft 6, 20-year-old goalkeeper is well thought of at Barnsley. So much so that on the same day as him signing for the Silkmen, the Tykes awarded Ravenhill a new contract which will keep him at the club until 2029.

Rogan earned a clean sheet on his Macclesfield debut and looked a commanding figure against Kings Lynn.

However, the Silkmen’s new stopper has had a mixture of outstanding and shaky moments in his subsequent games versus AFC Fylde, Scarborough and Darlington. We’ll spotlight Rogan’s performances later on, but let’s focus on Dearnley initially.

Dearnley dropped, injured or rested?

Max Dearnley became a huge favourite amongst Silkmen supporters during last season’s Northern Premier League title triumph - 23 clean sheets and just 30 goals conceded in 42 games made him a ‘keeper that Macclesfield could finally rely on after a plethora of previous loanees and mediocre permanent signings in net.

Dearnley has had a solid, if less spectacular second season at the Leasing.com stadium, retaining his position as the undisputed number one, supplemented by young understudies Joe Nicholson and Shea Callister.

But Callister’s decision to leave in search of first-team football at Irish side Derry, combined with some erratic recent performances from Dearnley, appear to have forced John Rooney’s hand in seeking genuine competition for the goalkeeper’s jersey.

Opinion amongst Silkmen supporters is divided as to whether Dearnley can consider himself unfortunate, or may benefit from being taken out of the firing line following some recent errors.

Is the criticism of Dearnley unfair?

In my opinion ‘yes’, but that doesn’t mean I’m opposed to Rooney drafting in a capable keeper in Ravenhill to provide overdue competition in this department.

Overall, Dearnley has been solid for the majority of this season. Max is an excellent shot stopper and safe handler of the ball. But his kicking can be erratic, as on occasion so is his decision making. At Step 2 though there are few better goalkeepers around at this level.

Dearnley was a standout performer in our 1-1 draw at home to Alfreton when Macc were all at sea in the second half, he made a big save at 1-1 at home to Peterborough, not withstanding his crucial penalty save at 2-0 in last month’s big win against Radcliffe to prevent the visitors pulling a goal back before half-time. And who can forget his sensational double save at Slough in extra time which effectively sealed our passage into the FA Cup third round?

Dearnley’s mistakes have been few and far between, and some of the recent criticism levelled at him by a minority has been harsh. Let’s take a look at some of his more high profile incidents.

• Away at Southport - early into the season Dearnley made a poor clearance to a Southport player, and then failed to regain his composure as he allowed the speculative follow-up shot to squeeze inbetween him at the near post. A genuine howler. Macc went on to win 2-1.

• The 1-0 home loss to Marine. This may be contentious. Sean Etaluku was injured and Marine took advantage by floating in a left wing cross that was turned in at close range as Dearnley remained static on his line. The post-match vitriol focused on Macclesfield’s poor form and Rooney not taking Etaluku off when he was clearly struggling.

• 1-1 draw vs Telford at home. Dearnley again remained static on his line as Telford took the lead as Walker latched onto a through ball to slot home. But Edmondson was guilty of conceding possession in the build-up and Macc’s centre halves played Walker onside. Criticism of Dearnley therefore feels harsh here.

• 2-1 win v Radcliffe. Dearnley blotted his copybook in an otherwise good display by spilling a cross late on which saw the visitor’s claw a goal back. A clear error.

• Peterborough Sports away in the disappointing 4-3 loss. A mix-up between Dearnley and Menayese sees Peterborough equalise. Dearnley comes racing off his line to clear a long ball, Menayese decides to take ownership and Dearnley connects with fresh air, leaving Peterborough to tap into an empty net. Dearnley got the blame, but if Menayese didn’t touch the ball would the mishap have occurred? For me, both players are at fault in this instance due to miscommunication.

• Leamington at home. The infamous chip from the halfway line. Yes, Dearnley was off his line, but how often do you see freak goals like that? I don’t think any keeper could have anticipated it or necessarily have saved the shot either. And as we know, keepers can get lobbed!

My personal view is that Dearnley has had a bad wrap. However, what is clear is that Max’s errors have become more frequent and his kicking and general command of his penalty area has been suspect at times.

He also appeared to have an injury to his right leg which saw him receive treatment for a number of minutes against Leamington, which may explain why his kicking was notably poor.

But if he’s injured, or carrying a knock, it would be good to have some clarification of this now that Rooney has taken him out of the firing line. I also understand tactically why Rooney wishes to remain tight-lipped.

Dearnley out, Ravenhill in

It’s fair to say that Rogan Ravenhill hasn’t entirely convinced every Silkmen supporter that he should be Rooney’s number one.

In his four starts in a Macclesfield jersey he’s conceded seven goals and recorded one clean sheet. To offer balance, three of those games have been against play-off contenders AFC Fylde, Scarborough and Darlington.

In contrast, I did think Ravenhill made a real hash in allowing Paul Dawson’s header to squirm under him for Macc’s equaliser against Leamington which ultimately saw us triumph 3-1 last month!

• A clean sheet in his debut versus King’s Lynn where he was relatively untroubled

• Fylde – produced a brilliant save to turn a shot onto the post at 1-1. Moments later Fylde made it 2-1 after a long punt forward was latched onto by Omerod, whose first time shot went under Ravenhill’s body. The shot was well struck, but might Rogan have done better? I’m not sure. I doubt I’d be applying the same scrutiny to Max Dearnley but for the debate on the merits of Macclesfield’s number one!

Omerod’s second and Fylde’s fourth was proof that lightening can strike twice as this time it was Ravenhill who was beaten by the halfway line by an outstanding strike. And just like Leamington’s goal, I think you’ve got to hold your hands up and concede that it was a superbly struck finish. But at what point does it become more than a coincidence? See Scarborough…

• Scarborough – Ravenhill gets done off his line again, but you have to say once more it’s an excellent strike from Walker for Scarborough’s opener. By the time the shot was in motion, Ravenhill had retreated to his goal line, however, at the time Walker contemplated whether to try his luck Ravenhill presented an inviting target. Keeper to blame? Not for me per se, but clearly teams are targeting long-range shots against us now…

Scarborough’s second was bundled in from a corner. Could Ravenhill have been stronger? Possibly… although he did make a good point blank save from Walker to keep the scoreline at 2-1 before James Gale later equalised.

• Darlington – see my previous article where I cover the Darlington game extensively and Ravenhill’s flashpoints within it. He was at fault for Darlo’s equaliser when rushing off his line and failing to get there ahead of striker Maskell who prodded home. But Rogan did produce two outstanding saves in each half, the second a superb reactionary save to keep out a header from a corner, to preserve all three points.

Dearnley v Ravenhill – stats comparison in the league

Enough of the emotion, let’s look at the cold, hard stats which compare how good each goalkeeper has performed in a variety of key disciplines.

League appearances vs goals conceded (Ravenhill played 18 times for bottom-of-the-table Leamington)

• Dearnley 28 apps, 40 conceded = 1.4 goals per game, 4 clean sheets

• Ravenhill 22 apps, 36 conceded = 1.6 goals per games, 4 clean sheets

Total saves made and overall ‘save percentage’ versus shots faced on target

• Dearnley 88 saves made at a save percentage of 71.5%

• Ravenhill 91 saves made at a save percentage of 74.5%

Passing accuracy overall

• Dearnley 81%

• Ravenhill 63%

Long-balls accuracy

• Dearnley 55%

• Ravenhill 54%

High claims

• Dearnley 16

• Ravenhill 17

Defensive contributions (tackles won, interceptions, clearances, blocked shots – more relevant for defenders obviously, but applicable to goalkeepers if they come off their line to act as a defender)

• Dearnley 50

• Ravenhill 29

Conclusion

I’m not sure these stats do anything to prove one goalkeeper’s superiority over the other, but I think they do highlight that Macclesfield are fortunate to have two players who will provide genuine competition for the number one jersey, which surely can only help to bring the best out in both of them?

Unsurprisingly, Ravenhill has been the busier keeper of the two playing for rock-bottom Leamington and has made more saves in his 22 league appearances compared to Dearnley’s 28. His overall save percentage is slightly higher.

The stats also indicate that Dearnley’s kicking accuracy is better and he’s more proactive off his line in making defensive contributions, which might explain why Ravenhill was a jack-in-the-box against Darlington in his eagerness to come off his line at all costs?

What is clear is that the debate over who should be Macclesfield’s first-choice goalkeeper won’t go away any time soon. But for now it’s Ravenhill’s shirt to lose.

Last night’s pulsating encounter had just about everything – goals, controversial incidents, near misses, super saves and goalkeeping errors. But it was the Silkmen who ultimately prevailed in a hard-fought, white knuckle ride type spectacle which resembled a basketball game on occasions.

Luke Duffy’s penalty was saved by Darlo keeper Rory Watson after four minutes after Luke Matheson ‘won’ a penalty after stooping low in the box to win a header. The Darlington defender made contact, Matheson went down and the ref pointed to the spot. Duffs’ spot kick was decently hit, but not placed with sufficient force in the corner of the goal and Watson guessed right to palm it away. Play was kept alive via a game of head tennis. D’Mani Mellor won two headers, which eventually found Duffy whose looping header cleared the crossbar.

The Silkmen had another shout for a penalty on 11 minutes when Gale appeared to be tripped by full-back Scott Barrow on the edge of the area. But upon watching the replay, it seemed like Gale was the one who engineered contact and the referee came to the correct conclusion.

Macc were cutting through the home side easily as they took the game to Darlo in the early stages. Despite this, we also looked vulnerable at the back as Rooney elected to shuffle the defence once again. Out went Pasiek and Borthwick-Jackson, in came Luis Lacey at left-back whilst the Silkmen boss paired Dawson and Heathcote at centre half.

Defensive vulnerabilities and all hands to the pump

Did it work? Well…. yes, we won, but I don’t think we looked particularly comfortable at any point and Dawson himself could have cost us on 15 minutes following an error which Rogan Ravenhill seems to be picking up the tab for online.

Darlington broke forward, Osborne got a toe-in which only resulted in prodding the ball further towards Macclesfield’s goal. Ravenhill burst off his line, Dawson deduced (rightly) that he wasn’t going to get there, but then the Silkmen captain dallied instead of clearing his lines as Ravenhill (of his own making) was stranded in no man’s land. A Darlington player attempted a lob which fortunately cannoned off the crossbar and the Silkmen escaped.

The tide turned in the home side’s favour, and they almost scored directly from a corner on 22 minutes. Ravenhill helped the ball on its way, but couldn’t get a strong enough connection on it and nearly palmed the ball into his own net, only for Heathcote to bail him out and hook clear off the line. Another heart in the mouth moment.

I’m picking on Ravenhill, but only because I want to be balanced in highlighting his weaknesses to be able to also champion his positives. On 27 minutes Rogan made a superb stop to keep it 0-0. A left wing cross found Stanton who looked poised to score. Ravenhill guessed which way he was shooting, flung himself to his left and produced a brilliant save to smother the ball through a crowded penalty area. Good keepers make hard saves look easy and this was a good example of that. Ravenhill anticipated the danger, made his mind up early and then executed the save with precision. Top drawer keeping from the young man!

Ten minutes later we took the lead. Lacey found Gale in space. The big man looked up and picked his spot with a low drive right into the bottom corner. Precision over power. Get in. 0-1.

Deep in first half-half injury time the Silkmen survived another scare. Cedric Main was picked out at the back post and his drilled effort sped inches past the post to end a back-and-forth 45 minutes.

Second half

Macclesfield were more comfortable after the break, only to concede a poor equaliser after 55 minutes. Lacey didn’t do enough to cut out a right wing cross, Ravenhill came out and didn’t get there, allowing Darlo striker Jack Maskell to beat him to it and stab the ball into the net. If you come that far off your line you better get there, Ravenhill didn’t, and both he and Macc paid the price.

Not only that, but Ravenhill’s over-eagerness meant that Heathcote (who was arguably better placed to deal with the danger) remained static and left the keeper to finish what he’d started. Egg on faces all round. 1-1.

The response from Rooney’s men was swift and decisive. Heathcote ventured forward and tried a low drive, not dissimilar to his defected goal against Scarborough at home. It was a scuffed effort which inadvertently fell to Mellor with his back to goal with the close attentions of a Darlington defender. D’Mani did brilliantly to flick the ball into the path of Gale, who instinctively applied a sweeping, first-time finish which raced into the bottom corner to make it 2-1. A clinical, confident striker’s finish from the big man. Did anyone tell you that he’s PROLIFIC?

We should have made it 3-1 moments later. Good work by Edmondson released Kay on the left, but Josh’s centre was just a fraction overhit and Gale on the stretch couldn’t turn the ball into the net on the back post. A let off for Darlington. And they had another one when substitute Borthwick-Jackson (on for Lacey) saw his header cleared off the line from a corner.

Just prior to that Rogan Ravenhill went on another wander. I don’t know if this lad has ants in his pants, or is taking the ‘sweeper keeper’ role to new extremes. A through ball saw Rogan come bounding off his line like a labrador pursuing a tennis ball, he didn’t get there and was never going to. Dawson was the covering defender who made a sliding tackle, the ball broke to Maskell who launched an effort towards the gaping goal but it veered just wide with Ravenhill stranded. Alarm. Bells. Ringing.

There was one final element of drama for Macc to negotiate, starting and ending with Ravenhill. Initially he made a poor clearance, Darlington picked up the loose ball and won a corner. But from there Rogan sealed us the points with a spectacular and outstanding save.

The corner was floated in, a Darlo player won the header in the six-yard box and the ball was heading towards the net in slow motion. Ravenhill flung himself across his line at full stretch to claw the ball away from danger, showing agility and bravery to get ahead of Main who was poised on the line to guide it home. A truly brilliant, match-winning save from the goalkeeper.

In injury time, Rogan again came flying off his line to deny Main once again who would have been clean through on goal. Another gamble by the goalie, but this was one that he got absolutely spot on.

Full-time: Darlington 1 Macclesfield 2. Huge win.

Match stats:

Possession: Darlington 58%, Macclesfield 42%

Shots: Darlington 17, Macclesfield 16

Shots on target: Darlington 4, Macclesfield 6

Corners: Darlington 5, Macclesfield 7

Player ratings:

Ravenhill 8 – this might seem high, but the mark is based on two tremendous saves he made in each half. Outside of that he was at fault for Darlington’s equaliser and showed questionable judgement when coming off his line. Rogan’s a talented keeper though, and for me, we need to stick with him as he’ll get better and better.

Matheson 8 – excellent. Was really solid defensively, won us a penalty which Duffy failed to convert. He also almost produced an excellent assist for Kay, who couldn’t quite turn Matheson’s excellent deep cross goalwards when at full stretch.

Heathcote 7.5 – I felt Sam needed a rest after Brentford, but he was very good last night. Made a vital clearance off the line when Ravenhill fumbled a corner and was generally dominant at the back in coping with some intense Darlington pressure. Three interceptions, three clearances, one blocked shot, and nine of 13 aerial duels won.

Lacey 7 – started off well and was involved in the build-up to Gale’s opener. Lost his way in the second half, picked up a stupid booking for a lunge on Maskell when the Darlington player was in his own half, and could have been tighter to stop the cross which led to the home side’s equaliser. Correct decision from Rooney to withdraw Lacey after 70 minutes.

Dawson 7 – mixed bag. Never looked truly comfortable at centre half and was guilty of some dubious decision making in the first half when failing to clear his lines, and generally him and Ravenhill were not on the same wavelength in terms of communication and understanding. Dawson was also dribbled past three times and found the slippery striker Cedric Main a challenge on occasions.

Osborne 7.5 – atoned for his own error when almost gifting Darlington the lead after three minutes following a poor back pass. Mopped up well in the middle of the park and played some clever balls in the final third which led to goalscoring opportunities, most notably for Mellor whose well-struck shot was saved in the second half.

Edmondson 7 – struggled to influence the game defensively or offensively as he typically does, but nevertheless he was effective in pockets. Four interceptions were key to keeping Darlington’s momentum in check, along with two clearances and one blocked shot. Macc hit a number of long balls last night, but James’ aim was surprisingly off – just 1 of 12 long balls found a Silkmen shirt.

Duffy 7 – missed a penalty and got a knock which meant he had to be withdrawn after 62 minutes. However, his workrate and battling qualities on the right of midfield saw us compete and earn the right to play in the first half. Has been a hugely important asset in our climb up the table so let’s hope he’s fit for Chorley on Saturday, or not on the sidelines for long.

Kay 7.5 – three shots, two on target, and was generally at the heart of our attacking play. But end product is lacking for all Kay’s talent, which some ignore. We’re talking fine margins. He almost steered in Matheson’s searching cross in the first half – a really difficult chance to convert. And in the second half, his cross to Gale was almost inch perfect but was fractionally too hard and the tap-in went begging. Terrific energy throughout.

Mellor 7 – actually gets the credit for the assist for Gale’s winner. Didn’t get much by way of service, but you know he’s always going to cover so much ground in doing everything he can to support the team.

Gale 9 – his most complete performance since joining from THEM. Two excellent finishes, but beyond that I think he led the line better than any previous game in terms of workrate, even if he did turn the ball over more than most. Five shots in total emphasised his threat throughout the evening to Darlington. Eight Silkmen appearances in the league, six goals and two assists in a limited number of minutes (just three starts). This lad is PROLIFC.

At 6’4 he’s not the target man you expect him to be, but boy does he know where the onion bag is at this level and he’s a very accomplished finisher. A really important signing and on a permanent basis too!

Subs:

Buckley-Ricketts 6.5 – replaced Duffy and contributed well defensively – five out of ten duels won.

Borthwick-Jackson 7 – on for Lacey and helped to steady the ship with 20 minutes remaining.

Dos Santos – no rating. On for Kay after 83 mins.

Fensome – no rating. Replaced Matheson on 89. Great to see him back from injury.

The club’s profile has literally been transformed overnight which could provide a major boost to our short-term and long-term ambitions, such as boosting our chances of achieving promotion to the National League and attracting overseas investment.

From Atherton Laburnum Rovers in the second qualifying round, to the unforgettable, unbelievable upset to knock out the FA Cup holders Crystal Palace, culminating in the Silkmen going toe-to-toe with Brentford only to be denied by a heartbreaking own goal. We may never see anything like this ever again. What a ride its been.

This edition of the Silkmen News will provide a more in-depth view of how the players performed against Brentford and attempt to ‘go behind the numbers’ and focus on analysis you may not have read about.

How good were Macclesfield in the first half?

In short, very. John Rooney’s men started on the front foot and took the game to their Premier League opposition. Paul Dawson headed James Edmondson’s inswinging free-kick over the bar after a couple of minutes (though it wouldn’t have counted due to offside). Then on ten minutes, Luke Duffy latched onto a misplaced pass and lashed an effort on the half-volley high and wide from a central position 20 yards out.

But how different might the tie have been had Paul Dawson’s 25-yard effort nestled in the bottom corner in the 18^th minute? D’Mani Mellor did brilliant to win possession and feed Duffy, who slipped a perfectly weighted ball into Dawson’s path whose eventual shot was fractionally wide.

Dawson’s shot was the Silkmen’s last notable effort of the half as Brentford began to grow into the game and dominate the ball – unsurprisingly the visitor’s enjoyed 77% possession overall. In the first half, the Bees had seven attempted efforts on goal, six of them inside the box, but crucially five of these were blocked thanks to some brilliant defending by Macclesfield.

This restricted Brentford to only two strikes of note. Furo flashed a header wide from a left wing cross, whilst Reiss Nelson’s well-struck shot inside the penalty area produced an excellent reactionary save from Max Dearnley on 36 minutes.

Overall, Macc were magnificent defensively. In total, we made 18 tackles (11 from Brentford), 44 recoveries and a whopping 46 defensive clearances. The Silkmen also won 41 of 72 contested ground duels compared to 31 from Brentford. Outstanding.

Brentford’s pressure eventually paid off

At half-time you sensed the whiff of another unbelievable upset. However, to their credit, Brentford showed their quality and bossed the second half. They had nine shots, eight were inside the box and six of them were on target. In contrast, Macc just had two headed attempts from Duffy and Mellor.

The Bees notably upped the tempo and turned the screw ten minutes into the second half and had three efforts in four minutes as the Silkmen heroically hung on. It’s somewhat disappointing, or perhaps heartbreaking is a more appropriate choice of word, that it took an own goal from Sam Heathcote to separate the two sides after 70 minutes.

At the time, Macclesfield were down to ten men as Luke Matheson was waiting in the wings to replace the injured Lewis Fensome. I’m not quite sure why Rooney decided to introduce James Gale for Isaac Buckley-Ricketts for his first substitution on 68 minutes before fetching on Matheson for Fensome. Maybe he was waiting to see if Fensome could recover whilst Matheson was warming up?

Did it matter? Well, given the goal originated from a left wing cross in an area where Dawson had gone to fill in at right back, combined with Duffy switching off for a split second in failing to track Brentford’s runner, then YES, this was pivotal to breaking Macclesfield’s hearts.

However, despite the extra man advantage for the away side, I’m not sure whether a fully-alert Duffy would have been able to prevent the cross. And in truth you can’t really legislate for Sam Heathcote failing to adjust his positioning and heading into his own net instead of putting it behind for a corner. It’s impossible not to feel sorry for Sam who was having another solid game on the back of a fine season.

How well did Macclesfield respond?

I can’t praise the players highly enough for rolling their sleeves up and not feeling sorry for themselves after going a goal behind in agonising circumstances. At the time, it appeared that Rooney’s men had weathered Brentford’s second half storm as they had gone 12 minutes without registering an effort.

Despite this, to their immense credit the Silkmen refused to let their heads drop. D’Mani Mellor’s strike on 81 minutes was blocked in a move which saw Brentford’s Michael Kayode handle the ball, not once, but twice in the melee. Replays suggested it was ball to hand on both occasions, but it was a heart in mouth moment for the travelling supporters. Mellor also saw his header saved a minute later where he couldn’t get enough power on it to trouble Valdimarsson in goal.

Macc kept going and gave themselves a chance to the very end by maintaining their defensive discipline, despite Brentford forcing seven corners and flashing a left footed shot high and wide from Donovan from inside the area.

If there’s one tinge of frustration I could level at the players, it would be their failure to make the most of set-plays and general deliveries of crosses into the box. We actually won 14 free-kicks to Brentford’s seven, but how many of these asked questions of the visitors? Very few.

Outside of Edmondson’s dangerous whipped in ball in the second minute, I can’t recall the Silkmen producing a ball into the box of similar quality, with perhaps the exception of a Louis Lacey cross. Duffy, Elliot Osborne and Edmondson couldn’t quite find the desired level of quality on the rare occasions Macclesfield were presented with openings. Only four of 13 attempted crosses (31%) found a blue shirt, but I appreciate this is me nitpicking.

Player ratings

Dearnley 7 – no chance with the Heathcote own goal as Sam’s header flew into the net from close range at pace. Max showed generally sound handling (apart from dropping and reclaiming one ball) and made one crucial stop from close range to keep it at 0-0 in the first half.

Fensome 7.5 – maybe the result would have been different had Fenners not been forced to go off injured which left us briefly down to ten men. Let’s hope his injury isn’t serious. As with the Palace game, Fensome justified his selection over Luke Matheson with a solid defensive display. He made seven defensive clearances, and won five out of six ground and aerial duels he contested.

Heathcote 7 – he’ll be feeling terrible and I don’t want to stick the boot in. Sam made an unfortunate mistake and it proved to be costly. He doesn’t make many. Generally he was resolute – five out of seven ground and aerial duels won and six clearances. He even found himself playing upfront in the final stages and whipped in a deep cross as an unconventional right winger.

Borthwick-Jackson 8 – the left centre back spot appears his to lose now following another assured display. Physically he was less dominant than Fensome and Heathcote, winning only two of seven ground and aerial duels. However, Cameron’s reading of the game was impeccable as he made a huge 17 defensive contributions overall, comprising 12 clearances, 1 interception and 4 blocked shots. A very effective and confident performance by the former Manchester United man.

Lacey 8.5 – no, that’s not a typo. After a shaky start in the first ten minutes up against the dangerous right winger Donovan, Lacey was magnificent and performed even better than he did against Palace. The left back was a revelation, both in terms of defending and leading the charge for Macclesfield in an attacking sense. Luis made 16 defensive contributions, including eight clearances and two interceptions.

No Macclesfield player made more tackles than Lacey (five) and he also blocked a shot. He also won 13 out of 18 contested ground duels, and won all three aerial duels. In contrast, Donovan lost possession 22 times and Lacey’s constant terrier-like harrying was a big factor in this.

Going forward, Luis was also very good and did more than any other player to get us up the pitch. He successfully completed five out of five dribbles, two out of two crosses and his passing accuracy at 71% was higher than any other Silkmen player. Much maligned at times this season (with justification), but he’s shown the quality he does possess against Palace and Brentford. The bar has been well and truly set – can he make this level of performance the norm, rather than the exception?

Osborne 7 – played as the midfield shield just in front of the back four, as Rooney adopted a 4-1-4-1 formation. Understandably he struggled against Brentford’s possession heavy style but did win two tackles and make five recoveries of the ball from the middle of the park. His passing accuracy at 53% was better than most, but his normally pinpoint long passes were off the mark – just one of six finding at teammate.

Dawson 7.5 – how close did he come to another magical FA Cup moment? His shot on 18 minutes was a yard or so past the post. Like Lacey, he tried his upmost to take the fight to Brentford, as evidenced by three out of four successful dribbles and he also attempted seven carries – a description which indicates when a player attempts to advance forward with the ball rather than electing to pass, where he was less effective with a passing accuracy of 39%. He was booked late on, but thankfully kept his head!

Edmondson 7.5 – worked tirelessly and acted as a strong, defensive foil when Dawson went roaming. Edmondson made seven defensive contributions and won four of his seven ground duels in the engine room. He attempted the most passes (22) compared to Dawson (18) and Osborne (17) and more tackles (three). Covered a lot of ground. Had a penalty shout late on but hit the deck way too easily after encountering slight contact.

Duffy 7.5 – in general play he was really good and showed excellent leadership qualities in driving us on. Duffy had more attempts on goal (four) than any other Macclesfield player and on another day would probably have hit the target instead of slightly snatching at his half-chance on ten minutes when Brentford presented the ball to him. He rarely had the ball, but utilised it well when he had it – 70% accuracy and he played a good pass into Dawson’s path which led to the skipper narrowly shooting wide on 18 minutes.

Where I think Duff’s can be slightly disappointed are on his set players – his corners and free-kicks seldom beat the first man. And he also switched off for a millisecond in not tracking the runner who put the cross in for Heathcote’s OG. I’m not sure he’d have cut off the supply regardless though.

Buckley-Ricketts 6 – one of the heroes of Round Three was unfortunately a peripheral figure against Brentford. Isaac only touched the ball 14 times and lost possession on seven occasions, completing only one of his three passes. A really difficult night for him against a very strong Brentford midfield.

Mellor 7 – toiled upfront as the lone striker feeding off scraps, until he was switched to wide left when Gale came on. D’Mani did brilliantly to rob a Brentford player in possession in the build-up to Dawson’s near miss in the first half. In total, he won six ground and aerial duels and made four tackles – Mellor never stopped and he tried his best late on with a headed effort.

So much still to play for

The Silkmen’s season isn’t done yet. With 18 huge league games to go, and Macclesfield sitting just outside of the National League North’s play-offs, we could be set for a grandstand finish!

I’ll do some analysis on the race for the play-offs in due course, but for now I’m going to catch my breath back.

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This wasn’t just three points and the Silkmen’s ninth victory in 15 home league games (three draws, three losses) which has catapulted us into the play-offs for the first time since the end of August. It was the sheer manner in which Macc put Kiddy to the sword :

• A play-off contender, unbeaten in 12 league and cup games

• Second only behind league leaders South Shields in the NLN form table (last eight games) and overall sitting in fourth place in the table

• Coming off seven wins out of nine games in the league, with six clean sheets out of their last seven

• The second best defence in the NLN – only 29 goals conceded in 28 matches before last night, with the best defensive record away from home (12 goals conceded in 14 games before last night)

• A team that has scored first in 20 of their 28 previous league games

And yet the Silkmen literally blew the visitors away on the coldest of Tuesday evenings. There were some similarities to this performance in comparison to the outstanding 2-1 victory over Radcliffe last month.

Attitude and performance

Like Radcliffe, Kidderminster arrived in good form but simply couldn’t cope with Macc’s tenacity, tireless pressing and intelligent runs, directness in getting the ball forward quickly and pace in the final third.

Manager John Rooney was once again rewarded for his astute team selection and brave tactical set-up. Cameron Borthwick-Jackson was brought in to partner Sam Heathcote in central defence as Rollin Menayese recovers from illness, which allowed captain Paul Dawson to push into midfield where he is so influential.

Dawson was involved in three of our five goals, whilst Borthwick-Jackson was a calming influence next to impressive loan signing Kacper Pasiek at left-back. Cameron provided balance as a natural left-footer with a good ability to read danger, particularly in the channels when Pasiek went roaming like a bull in a china shop to good effect.

Rooney went with a midfield three of Elliot Osborne, James Edmondson and Dawson, who complimented our now potent attacking trio of Luke Duffy, Josh Kay and D’Mani Mellor who are in scintillating form.

For as clinical and as positive as our attacking play was during a blistering first half, I was particularly pleased by how we dug in when Kidderminster pulled one back in the 58^th minute from Joe Foulkes. Rooney, who took some stick for not stemming the tide when Peterborough Sports were in the ascendancy after last week’s disappointing 4-3 loss, was more proactive here.

Macclesfield switched from a 4-3-3 to a 4-1-4-1 formation, with Osborne acting as a defensive screen in front of the back four, with Dawson and Edmondson anchoring central midfield, and Kay and Duffy dropping a little deeper from out wide.

Our fourth goal on 67 minutes proved decisive in clipping Kidderminster’s wings when they still had belief of salvaging a result. And from a Silkmen perspective there was so much to admire about it.

Kay and Dawson pressed the beleaguered Obi into a mistake, the ball broke to Pasiek who had made another lung-bursting run forward down the left. Pasiek’s centre, whipped in with pace and accuracy was almost converted by the onrushing Edmondson who had joined the attack. The ball broke to Mellor who showed admirable poise and accuracy by steering the ball into the net to register a brilliant hat-trick.

Edmondson’s second goal, deep in stoppage time, was the cherry on top. Cheap from Kidderminster’s perspective, but wonderful from ours. Here we had a midfield player in the 100^th minute of a game already won showing the desire, technical skill and class to embarrass Harriers’ goalkeeper Christian Dibble and round-off a superb evening.

Player ratings

Dearnley 7 – flapped at one corner early on, but after that his handling was faultless as Kidderminster did force a number of corners. Made a couple of important stops as the visitor’s upped the ante in the second half, but needed some help on their consolation goal having made a strong initial stop before Foulkes lashed home the rebound. After two uncertain performances against Peterborough and Bedford this was a much more assured performance.

Matheson 7.5 – was more subdued from an attacking perspective than we’ve seen in recent weeks, but he was sound defensively overall. He needed to be disciplined up against dangerman Devine on the left flank, and similarly when the lively Thompson came on at half-time. Matheson was tenacious, has an impressive leap in the air despite not being the tallest and supported our attacks when he could.

Heathcote 8 – less busier than usual, but no less commanding. Used the ball well out to the flanks and contributed a perfect assist which presented a tap-in for Mellor to make it 3-0.

Borthwick-Jackson 8 – a really complete performance. Positionally excellent, particularly when covering the space left in behind Pasiek when he pressed forward – tellingly Borthwick-Jackson made 4 interceptions and 3 clearances. Safe and secure in possession and he won some good headers which got us going on the front foot (5 out of 7 aerial duels won).

Pasiek 9 – love him. The Preston loanee is like a Yorkshire terrier. Fearless with boundless energy. Covered so much territory on the left flank and was positive in everything he did, both in supporting our attacks and keeping his dangerous opposite number Foulkes in check. Fantastic run and assist for our fourth goal. It’s early days, but Kacper has the makings of being a real crowd favourite. 19 defensive recoveries, 15 of 26 ground and aerial duels won, 1 key pass, 4 out of 4 accurate long balls and 2 out of 2 accurate crosses. He was also fouled more than other Macclesfield player (4 times), highlighting how much Kidderminster struggled to contain him.

Osborne 7.5 – cool, calm and collected. He’s made an unassuming but quietly impressive start to his Silkmen career. Rarely gives the ball away, oozes quality in being able to make difficult passes look simple, and delivers a great dead ball, as evidenced by his perfectly flighted free-kick in the build-up to our third goal.

Dawson 9 – tremendous first half from the captain who was restored to his most effective midfield position. An exquisite turn and crossfield ball released Duffy which was key to our opener. His through ball for Edmondson was accurate and perfectly weighted for Edmonson to make it 2-0. And although he was slightly quieter after the break, his tackle was pivotal in us regaining possession which led to our crucial fourth.

Based on Borthwick-Jackson’s performance last night, and Menayese and Fensome waiting in the wings, there seems no reason for Dawson to have to drop back into central defence this season.

Edmondson 9.5 – what a boost to have him until the end of the season. The young midfielder showed his full repertoire of midfield skills against Kidderminster. His opening goal stemmed from a brilliantly timed run to anticipate Dawson’s pass where he showed the composure and confidence to shoot rather than slow the move down and wait for support. He was tidy in possession and tigerish defensively.

But his willingness to join our attacks could be a huge plus as we seek to contribute more goals from midfield. Last night James had 3 of his 4 shots on target, and successfully completed 3 out of 4 dribbles, Edmondson has the technique and temperament to feature more regularly on the scoresheet and last night will have done his confidence the world of good.

Duffy 8 – continued his rich vein of form playing as a wide forward / winger in a 4-3-3 set-up. Rooney demanded more from his forwards and Duffy has stepped up to the plate. His willingness to attack full-backs and whip balls into the box was instrumental in last night’s opening goal. His workrate was exceptional, but his quality in possession also shone. Duffy’s end product in the final third has notably improved and his class could be key to unlocking the most stubborn of defences. Last night, Duffy’s average position on the pitch saw him play further forward than Mellor almost as a support striker.

Kay 7.5 – recovered well from a nasty challenge to almost play ninety minutes, highlighting his improving fitness and stamina. He may not have been at his best going forward and was generally starved of the ball (just 10 passes and 19 touches), but he put a real shift in – forming a lively front three with Duffy and Mellor in the first half which gave the Kidderminster rearguard fits.

Dawson will get the plaudits for the assist for Edmondson’s first goal, but Kay showed good strength to hold off a Kidderminster player to lay the ball off to Daws in the build-up. His pressing with Dawson also directly led to our decisive fourth goal as we regained possession and fed Pasiek on the wing to cross for Mellor’s eventual hat-trick strike.

Mellor 10 – I can’t recall awarding 10 before, but I can’t justify giving Mellor any less. He was exceptional. D’Mani has played nine games as a central striker following Danny Elliott’s season-ending injury, registering eight goals, and he’s arguably the best striker in the National League North right now. Mellor’s movement, acceleration and anticipation placed him in the right place at the right time for Macc’s first and third goals.

He’s always looking to play on the shoulder, and his workrate and desire to commit means that he’s always ready and able to punish mistakes by defenders, as evidenced by his hat-trick goal last night. In doing so, he made a difficult finish look easy by displaying good technique to strike the ball cleanly with sufficient power when many strikers would have fired over the bar. Mellor is an absolute revelation as a striker and like a new signing.

Play-off push on? Reasons for optimism…. and concern

I’ve kept my powder dry recently (work has been manic, sorry!) whilst procrastinating over the Silkmen’s chances of realistically making the play-offs. Victories over Oxford, Worksop and Bedford, whilst timely and deserved, came against teams in the lower half of the table. And then we had last week’s debacle against Peterborough Sports – a blip in an otherwise fantastic run of five league wins in our last six (including Kidderminster).

Last night was the acid test up against a team in great form with a huge playing budget (£1.2 million if rumours are to be believed) with a realistic expectation of gaining promotion via the play-offs. And it was a test we passed with flying colours – our finest performance of the season, eclipsing our brilliant 2-1 win over fellow play-off contenders Radcliffe who were also on the crest of the wave before coming unstuck at the Leasing.com stadium.

The positives

• We’re into the play-offs (7^th) for the first time since the end of August following our 2-1 win over Darlington with games in hand on all of the teams above us (3 on Radcliffe and Merthyr)

• Home form has been fundamental to the Silkmen climbing the table – we’ve earned big wins over four of the current top 6 (South Shields, Radcliffe, Kidderminster and Darlington) with AFC Fylde still to visit later this month. We’re averaging two points per game at home, having accumulated 30 points from 15 matches (9 wins and 3 draws). That’s promotion form…. IF we can pick up more points away from home (see Negatives).

• Along with Telford, we are the joint first best team in the form table in our last 6 games (15 points),

• Based on 27 league games so far, our points-per-game total (PPG) has now reached a season-high of 1.67. IF we can maintain this between now and the end of the season, then we would finish on 76 points. To put this into perspective, Buxton who occupied seventh place and last season’s final play off place finished on 77 points. However, the points tally needed to reach this season’s play-offs is currently tracking to be far less.

• In the last three NLN seasons, 77, 75 and as low as 68 points have been sufficient to secure a play-off spot, equating to a high of 1.67 PPG and a low of 1.47 PPG. If we can maintain our current form, or close to it, we will remain in contention for the play-offs. In fact, our PPG based on our last 8 league games is 1.88 (five wins, three losses)

• In terms of the PPG table, the Silkmen’s current ‘league position’ is tracking us to finish fifth, ahead of currently fifth-placed Radcliffe (1.63 PPG) and sixth-placed Darlington (1.64 PPG). In a division where seemingly anyone can beat anyone, only Telford, Buxton and Marine of the teams currently outside the play-offs are showing signs to suggest they can gatecrash the top 7.

• We’re scoring goals, lots of them in fact. After failing to score more than two all season, we’ve recently stuck three past Oxford and Peterborough, four past Worksop and FIVE past Kidderminster. To put this into perspective, we’ve increased our goals output by 40% in our last 8 league games, averaging 2.38 goals per game compared to our season average of 1.70. Buckley-Ricketts, Mellor and Duffy look currently unstoppable, whilst Dawson and Edmondson are back amongst the goals from midfield.

A point I keep ramming home is that possession isn’t always key. Against Kidderminster the Silkmen only had 40% of the ball, but we registered more efforts on goal (13 to their 6 with 8 on target) and impressively 9 of our 13 shots came inside the box. In a nutshell, we’re scoring more goals because we’re getting the ball forward into the final third more quickly, creating better quality chances inside the box, and are being more clinical with our finishing.

• Strength in numbers. The recent arrivals of Borthwick-Jackson and Pasiek have really strengthened the left side of our defence, plus the return to fitness of Luke Matheson has provided genuine competition between him and Lewis Fensome for the right back position. The addition of Osborne in midfield, combined with the unexpectedly welcome retention of James Edmondson is another welcome tonic.

Upfront we still appear a little light – D’Mani Mellor staying injury free seems absolutely crucial to our promotion hopes. But additions of Stone and Gale provide John Rooney with contrasting options instead of us having to rely on Sam Heathcote. With Justin Johnson nearing a return from injury, plus the re-emergence of Duffy and Buckley-Ricketts, Macclesfield look a real handful going forward.

The negatives

• Our fixture jam of playing Saturday-Tuesdaybetween now and the end of March will place considerable strain on the squad, not to mention the small matter of entertaining Premier League Brentford in the FA Cup later this month. Mentally and physically, Macclesfield’s players are going to be running on empty, with precious little time for John Rooney to work on tactical tweaks on the training field.

Beating Kidderminster is a huge tonic, which means we can go to South Shields full of confidence whilst knowing that a defeat wouldn’t be as damaging than if we hadn’t have won last night. However, seven games in February and nine in a punishing March could ultimately prove a bridge too far. Although two of them come against Hereford who also face a monumental fixture jam of their own!

The Silkmen have now played 27 league games, the same as Marine and Spennymoor who also have lingering play-off ambitions. Whilst a number of NLN teams have only played 28 – Fylde, Darlington, Telford, Buxton and Chorley whose resources and squads will also be tested. And better still, the Silkmen have to play Hereford twice (23 games played) and fellow strugglers Leamington and Alfreton who have played only 26.

• Our away form, which is arguably more concerning than our impending fixture pile-up. From our 19 remaining league fixtures, 11 are away compared to 8 at home, starting with a trip to league leaders South Shields on Saturday. Macclesfield have won only 4 of 12 games on their travels (3 draws, 5 defeats), which equates a PPG of just 1.25 on the road. For every outstanding home win against Radcliffe and Kidderminster, we’ve seen some poor performances against Chester and Peterborough away from the Leasing.com stadium.

Whilst we have the second best record at home in the NLN, we currently have the 16^th poorest away – just 15 points from 12 matches. Offensively we have scored 18 goals on the road – the 13^th best in the division, however 7 goals in our last two away fixtures against Peterborough and Worksop are genuine causes for optimism that we have abandoned our previously safety-first approach.

But…. perhaps unsurprisingly we’re conceding more goals away too – 13% more in our last 8 games, equating to an average of 1.63 goals per game compared to 1.44.

Worryingly, nine of our remaining 11 away games are against sides currently occupying 12^th and higher in the league. In addition to South Shields, the Silkmen must travel to Merthyr (3^rd), Radcliffe (5^th), Darlington (6^th) and in-form Telford (8^th), not to mention an Easter local derby against Buxton (11^th).

Making the play-offs in one thing, but winning them is entirely different. Due to the National League’s promotion format, teams finishing between 2^nd and 7^th contest the play-offs. Round one consists of two eliminators as 4^th play 7^th (eliminator A) and 5^th vs 6^th (eliminator B) with the highest finishing teams securing home advantage.

The winners of eliminators A and B then must play the second and third placed teams away from home in the semi-final, before contesting the play-off final if they are successful.

If the Silkmen finish lower than fourth in the league (which is entirely conceivable), then we could have to win three consecutive away games to achieve promotion to the National League. A tall order for any team, but particularly for Rooney’s men who have flattered to deceive away. But let’s cross this bridge if we get to it!

• Whilst the spotlight is on Macc, competition for the final play-off positions will be fierce. AFC Telford are top of the form table based on the last 8 games having accumulated 21 points. Whilst Scarborough, Marine and Buxton are also expected to be in the mix and the Silkmen must play all four of these teams away.

Let’s try and enjoy the ride

Perspective and patience will be needed over the next three months. The criticism John Rooney and his players receive when they fall short of the standards we believe they are capable of isn’t unusual – the Fylde, Chester and Peterborough defeats being obvious examples. Some criticisms have been valid, whilst others have been reactionary. Due to the realities of modern football, every win is “momentum”, whilst every defeat sometimes leads to a “meltdown” online.

Defeats hurt, but are to be expected in the topsy-turvy waters of the National League North. After the euphoria of last night’s win, it’s worth reflecting that Rooney has been thrust behind the wheel of a distressed ship not once, but twice this season following Robbie Savage’s departure and the tragic death of Ethan McLeod.

The rookie manager is emerging with credit, leading us into play-off contention in the league and into the money-spinning heights of the fourth round of the FA Cup whilst learning on the job.

Of course, things can turn quickly in either direction. Afterall, the tame loss to Chester left us in 15^th place, six points off the play-offs. Its been some turnaround since then.

Before this turns into late-night, beer-fuelled football philosophising, let’s remember where we’ve come from – competing at Step 2 for the first time in Macclesfield FC’s history, vying for the play-offs despite having lost four players from last season’s title-winning squad, not to mention losing our all-time top-scorer to a season-ending injury and a fixture schedule which would derail most teams. And all this whilst the players and staff come to terms with the loss of one of their colleagues.

Rooney and his players are not just trying to climb a hill – metaphorically they’re halfway up Buxton Road after consuming too many in Spoons. We’ve got 19 league games to go, they’ll be lots of twists and turns along the way and then…. who knows?

Whatever happens between now and the end of the season, let’s try and enjoy the ride.

Still in a state of shock themselves and at the end of a couple of hangovers it’s time for the pod to talk through the historic game. In this episode we go over all the key performances, a look at the Silkmen’s successful tactical approach, and all the emotion of the day. In all that there’s a little bit of time to touch on thoughts ahead of the fourth round game against Brentford, praise for John Rooney with a couple of big league wins inbetween the cup drama, and Africa Cup of Nations chat (of course).

Podcast available on all good platforms including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and many more. Or you can listen through the player above.

We’re activley looking for more contributors to the podcast in particular from people who are under represented within the fan base. Do get in touch if you’re intrested in getting involved. If there’s anything you’d like us to cover in future podcasts then leave us a comment and we’ll get it in for future episodes.

Goals from the rejuvenated Isaac Buckley-Ricketts and a belter from Paul Dawson inside the first 20 minutes set Macc on their way. The final result should have been more comprehensive, even in spite of Max Dearnley’s first half penalty save and a late consolation from former Silkman Tyler James.

How significant was the win over Radcliffe, and how much did this boost the players’ confidence and provide momentum ahead of Palace by giving everyone such a huge lift going into it?

Tuesday’s victory was such a massive result, for me our best performance of the season, achieved against a bogey team who were flying high in the National League North. And all this on the back of two poor, toothless performances against Buxton and Chester (in particular), plus the added inconvenience of the Silkmen being without injured top scorer Danny Elliott.

Manager John Rooney, who had threatened members of the squad with being shown the door if they didn’t start producing, triggered the perfect response and was rewarded for a brave team selection and shift in tactical approach. We’ll delve into the specifics of that shortly.

Before we do, let’s take a look at how well Radcliffe had been doing coming into this fixture and why they were favourites to leave Cheshire with another three points.

Radcliffe

• They sat 5^th in the league, 6pts behind Kidderminster in 4^th but with 2 games in hand

• With a win they would have gone 9pts clear of 8^thplaced Buxton in the play-off race

• Radcliffe’s previous 4 results were: Flyde h 3-3 (coming from 3-0 down), Curzon W3-0 a, Leamington W2-1 h, Scarborough W3-0 a

• Radcliffe’s record against the top 7 record is very good, and they have dished out five goal hammerings away from home to teams that are currently flying: Fylde h 3-3, Merthyr a W5-0, Kidderminster a W5-1, Scarborough a W3-1, Darlington h W3-1

• Radcliffe came into this having scored 49 goals – the fourth highest in the NLN. And their defence (32 goals conceded) was the 6^th best,

• Radcliffe had taken the lead 16 times and only conceded an equaliser on 4 occasions, underlining how important it was for us to get our noses in front

• In the NLN so far this season, 74% of teams that are winning at half-time go on to win the game, highlighting just how significant it is to start games on the front foot in this league! Credit for this stat goes to Morgan Lyons’ excellent xExplained Substack site which provides in-depth analysis on the NLN - check it out!

A shift in tactics from Rooney

John Rooney was bold and brave in taking the game to Radcliffe, switching from our customary 4-2-3-1 or 4-1-4-1formation, to a more attack-minded 4-3-3. Isaac Buckley-Ricketts and Luke Duffy were constant attacking threats from out wide with D’Mani Mellor deputising at centre forward in place of the injured Danny Elliott.

An energetic midfield three comprised Paul Dawson, James Edmondson and the naturally left-sided Carlos Dos Santos who added a new dimension to our defensive and attacking play. Whilst at the back, Rooney rewarded Luke Matheson’s impressive cameo off the bench at Chester with a start at right back in place of Lewis Fensome. Matheson had an excellent game, and as good as Fensome was against Palace, Luke can consider himself a tad unfortunate to have found himself back on the bench.

Rooney’s tactics went beyond just freshening up personnel. Clearly, the directive was to get the ball forward quickly and attack Radcliffe with purpose - our attacking numbers really bear that out.

• Macclesfield made 252 passes against Radcliffe, in contrast to the 502 passes we made against Chester (of which 51% were made by our defenders!) and 371 passes against Buxton

• Unlike Chester, there was less responsibility on our defenders to build from the back, Rollin Menayese only made 15 passes vs 66 at Chester, Heathcote 23 vs 62, and Lacey 24 vs 77. That didn’t make our back four less effective, in fact as a collective they defended robustly against the persistent, direct threat of Radcliffe with Sam Heathcote in particular having an outstanding evening (see Player Ratings below)

• The Silkmen had more shots (16) and more shots inside the box (10) against Radcliffe than they typically do. In fact, you have to go back to our 3-1 victory against Peterborough Sports at the beginning of November to see a more dominant attacking performance from us (22 shots, 11 inside the box) in the league.

• Macclesfield’s expected goals (xG) stat of 1.54 vs 2.25 from Radcliffe is really misleading. We carved out (and missed!) some clear-cut chances which we should have done much better from.

• We had 46% vs 54% possession v Radcliffe. Only four other teams have had more of the ball against the Silkmen this season - Southport away, South Shields home in the league, Fylde away and Crystal Palace. When having less possession our stats read won 4 and lost 1!

Buckley-Ricketts blazed over from Matheson’s cutback, Mellor headed wide from Duffy’s cross then scooped an effort over the bar in the second half when well placed, and Duffy himself hit the post when played through on goal one-on-one. Speaking of Dawson, his 25-yard wonder hit with very little backlift carried an expected goal stat of just 0.04.

Radcliffe were largely outshone in terms of creative attacking output, so why did they have an xG tally of 2.25? There are a few reasons. They missed a penalty which automatically carries an xG of 0.76 and Tyler James’ consolation saw him fire into a gaping goal from close range after Dearnley had fumbled the centre which equated to an xG of 0.29. David Ball also failed to get a clean connection when through on goal in the first half (xG 0.36) which saw his tame effort easily saved.

So, according to the football data ‘experts’ Radcliffe’s opportunities carried an increased likelihood of resulting in goals in comparison to Macclesfield’s.

Macclesfield stood up to Radcliffe’s physical threat all over the park

We were fantastic going forward, but we also defended superbly against a physical and direct Radcliffe side. You might be surprised to learn that Macclesfield won 64% of aerial duels against Radcliffe (28 of 44), and only fractionally less ground duels (48 vs 51).

In terms of aerial duels, Dawson won 6 out of 9, Heathcote 4 out of 5, Menayese 2 out of 3 and even Luke Matheson won 2 out of 2. We were brave, strong and competitive all over the pitch, from front to back. Isaac Buckley-Ricketts won 11 of the 24 duels he contested – excellent stats for a wide player not known for his defensive prowess. Luke Duffy also won 9 of his 15 duels, and D’Mani Mellor won 6 out of his 11 aerial battles.

Furthermore, Macc made more defensive clearances (27 vs 19), more interceptions (19 vs 12) and defended more crosses (17 vs 13). We also robbed Radcliffe in possession 10 times versus the six times we turned over the ball, again highlighting just how tenacious the Silkmen were.

Rooney’s men were determined and committed all over the park, which in turn earned us the right to play the quality football Macclesfield ultimately produced in the final third.

The rejuvenated Buckley-Ricketts

Isaac Buckley-Ricketts’ second goal against Palace will go down in history as one of the most significant ever in the Silkmen’s history. But it was his revitalised display against Radcliffe which set the tone for his sensational FA Cup contribution.

Rumoured to have been made surplus to requirements by Rooney after a series of lacklustre displays, IBR was handed another chance due to an injury sustained by Juston Johnson. And boy did Isaac seize the initiative by delivering the type of performance everyone knows he is capable of following his summer move from Curzon Ashton.

It wasn’t just IBR’s goal that was impressive against Radcliffe – his whole performance was off the chart. 8 out of 10 successful dribbles underline just how well he carried the fight to Radcliffe by running at their defenders and being a constant thorn in their side. 4 efforts on goal. 80% (16/20) accurate passes in Radcliffe’s half, with three key passes leading to goalscoring opportunities.

Defensively Isaac was also outstanding. 5 defensive contributions comprising interceptions, clearances and blocked shots, 11 of 24 aerial and ground duels won and 6 defensive recoveries. A superhuman effort from the winger who has now set the bar on what he is capable of producing when firing on all cylinders.

Player ratings

Dearnley 8 – Made a crucial penalty save on the stroke of half-time by guessing right which resulted in a comfortable stop in the end. Handling was sound, until right at the end when he spilled a cross which led to Radcliffe pulling one back.

Matheson 7.5 – Good going forward and defensively. Did just enough to put Taylor off when well positioned inside the penalty area and was denied an assist after an excellent run and cross only for Buckley-Ricketts to blaze over.

Heathcote 9 – A tower of strength. Vital clearance off the line inside two minutes, lead the line commandingly and showed strong dominance in the air and concentration in thwarting Radcliffe’s danger in the box from Jordan Hulme.

Menayese 7.5 – Less dominant than Heathcote but did the basics well.

Lacey 6.5 - Was in the right place at the right time to prevent Radcliffe’s David Ball from tapping home the rebound after Dearnley had saved Gardner’s penalty. Had a tough evening up against the dangerous winger Afuye and was dribbled past on 5 occasions.

Edmondson 7.5 – good on and off the ball, but loses a mark for the trip which led to Radcliffe’s penalty even though the offence occurred outside the box! Showed excellent maturity and battling qualities to get stuck in to help Macc win the midfield battle.

Dawson 9.5 – an outstanding goal and all-round display. Was immense in the centre of the park, dominating Radcliffe in the air and outclassing them on the deck with some defence splitting passes. A real captain’s performance.

Dos Santos 8.5 – is left midfield the youngster’s best position? A surprise but welcome inclusion. Involved in the build-up to both goals, looked to play positively on every occasion when on the ball. Crisp passing, excellent control in tight spaces helped create half a yard which was vital in helping us retain possession and kickstart our attacks.

Duffy 8 – like Buckley-Ricketts he really took the game to Radcliffe by successfully completing 5 of his 6 dribbles. Produced an excellent cross for Mellor in the first half and possibly could have done better when hitting the post when clean through after the break.

Buckley-Ricketts 9.5 – where did that performance come from? Lively throughout, a constant menace that Radcliffe couldn’t handle as he ran at their defenders with pace and power. Rewarded for his persistence with a vital goal and defensively resolute also. An all-round outstanding contribution.

Mellor 7 – could have done better with the two goalscoring opportunities he had. Worked very hard as always and defensively put a real shift in.

Subs:

Borthwick-Jackson for Lacey (70 mins) 7 – impressive, tidy debut from the new signing

Whitehead for Dos Santos (78) – Danny was denied by an excellent save from his stinging shot

Fensome for Matheson (84) – Disciplined in the final stages

Stone for Edmondson (86) – our other debutant was lively up top for the brief time he was on

The greatest FA Cup upset in history. An unforgettable day which probably will never be surpassed. I feel so privileged to have witnessed it and been part of the journey.

I’m especially delighted for the many supporters who have been with the Silkmen through thick-and-thin, for Rob Smethurst and the club’s employees, John Rooney and the players who have had both their critics and their challenges, both physically and emotionally following Ethan’s passing. Yesterday was for everyone connected with Macclesfield FC.

The quadruple is on!

Remarkably the Silkmen are still vying for contention in the National League North, the FA Trophy (Woking away on Tuesday night), the dizzy heights of the FA Cup and, less we forget, the Cheshire Senior Cup.

But it’s the FA Cup with all its riches that represents the biggest prize of all. Another £121,500 was added to the kitty after ending Palace’s rein which literally has shocked the world.

What makes this so satisfying is that yesterday’s triumph wasn’t a case of smash and grab from John Rooney’s magnificent men. It was a controlled, disciplined and resolute display with pockets of standout quality which made our 2-1 win so richly deserved. John Rooney set us up perfectly against Premier League opponents and the players executed the plan to the letter.

So…. who do you want in the fourth round? City? United? Or how about a trip to St James’ Park? Do you want an away day or another memorable day at the Moss Rose? I can barely contain my excitement ahead of Monday’s draw.

Player ratings

Dearnley 8 - showed good handling and concentration as Palace hurled crosses and corners into the box. Possibly got his angles wrong on the free-kick for the visitor’s goal?

Fensome 9 - Rooney made a big call picking him ahead of Luke Matheson who did well against Radcliffe on Tuesday. But Fenners justified his faith with a resolute defensive display. Sensible and decisive on and off the ball, got forward when he could and was involved in the build-up to our crucial second goal.

Heathcote 9 - cool, calm and collected. Never looked remotely rattled and just dealt with any threat in his relaxed stride. Exuded confidence.

Menayese 9 - big Rollin mopped up everything in the air and on the deck. A towering presence throughout, but particularly after Palace scored and we needed to refocus and see it out. Menayese lead the line brilliantly.

Lacey 8.5 - this 20 year-old, humble lad has taken some stick but can hold his head up high after an excellent display against Palace. Tackled well, rarely got beaten and dealt really well with the threat of Brennan Johnson who was introduced at half-time. I particularly loved Lacey’s double Cruyff turn on the touchline midway through the second half!

Edmondson 9 - a really mature and lively performance from another 20 year-old who we are fortunate to have on loan from Blackburn until the end of this month. Can we extend it? Edmondson is known for being graceful in possession, but yesterday he was tenacious and resolute in the middle of the park, carrying the ball forward and taking the fight to Palace without being overawed.

Dawson 9.5 - literally captain sensational, let alone fantastic. A colossal display of bravery and quality which highlighted what a talent he is and how capable he is of playing much higher. Kept his composure and discipline after suffering a gash to his head early on. Produced some tremendous skill and passes from midfield, showing strength and deft control to buy himself half a yard in a congested midfield. Competed superbly, winning the majority of his duels on the deck and on the floor. And what a sensational, towering and iconic header to send us into delirium to put us 1-0 up and make the impossible, possible.

Duffy 8.5 - produced a huge moment of quality for his pinpoint free-kick delivery which landed smack, bang on Dawson’s head. 70% passing accuracy and two key passes highlight how well he looked after the ball against the likes of Adam Wharton and Will Hughes in midfield.

Kay 8 - back after serving a three-match suspension and rose to the occasion to justify Rooney’s faith. It was his defensive contribution which really stood out yesterday, as he snapped at the heels of Palace players and kept his head after sustaining a yellow card.

Buckley-Ricketts 9 - was he going for goal or just trying to help it on its way? Most give credit to Isaac for his beautifully deft finish which sent the Leasing.com stadium into raptures. Like Dawson, he showed tremendous bravery and desire to attack Palace and play in their half.

Mellor 8.5 - had to feed off scraps from an attacking standpoint, but was exceptional as our first line of defence. Put in an amazing shift in the second half as he pressed and chased everything. Made three successful tackles to prevent Palace from building from the back and D’Mani was a big reason why the FA Cup holders never got going.

On paper, the outcome of the Silkmen’s historic third round tie looks a formality against Premier League opponents, Crystal Palace. After all, the Eagles’ last outing in this competition was a 1-0 win in the FA Cup final against Manchester City and they will be heavy favourites to ease past Macclesfield.

But the FA Cup has a long history of tearing up scripts and manager John Rooney and leading goalscorer Danny Elliott made their intentions clear in Thursday afternoon’s press conference in front of media representatives from the BBC, the Guardian, the Times and Sky News.

Don’t count us out

“I don’t think a win is unrealistic,” said Rooney when I asked him how he’s managing his expectations ahead of Saturday. “In the FA Cup, crazy things happen.

“Are we setting up just to win? No. We’ll have to defend really well to minimise their chances but there’s giant killings in every round so why can’t it be us this round?

“I’m definitely not ruling a victory out, absolutely not.”

But there will be a sense of achievement no matter the scoreline, with Saturday’s clash seeming less about the result and more about the occasion. Above all, this fixture acts as a reminder as to why the FA Cup still matters to clubs at this level. It’s an opportunity to attract transformational financial windfalls through prize money, gate receipts and TV coverage, while putting Macclesfield back on a national stage by attracting audiences that have never even seen a non-league game.

A remarkable journey

Even the small things tell the story - having been at the stadium on Thursday and seen the carpark full of broadcast trucks, scaffolding built around the ground for TV cameras, digital advertising boards being installed around the pitch. These are all signs of how far Macc have come as a club since their reformation just six years ago.

To put that into perspective, six years ago on Saturday Paul Dawson and Lewis Fensome were playing together away at Grantham Town for Lancaster City in front of a crowd of just 202 people. Fast forward six years, Grantham have suffered three relegations while Dawson and Fensome will be captain and vice captain in the Third Round of the FA Cup against Premier League giants Crystal Palace. Remarkable.

One man that will know how important cup runs are for non-league clubs is Danny Elliott, who has featured for eight different clubs across the National League and the National League North.

“As I’ve grown into my career, I’ve seen what it means to lower level clubs and how much the financial aspect can affect a lower level club.

“I signed for Boreham Wood a few years ago just after they got to the Fifth Round. They played away at Bournemouth and won and then they played away at Everton and lost, but I’ve seen the way it affected the club financially. Seeing all that makes [the game on Saturday] mean even more.

“Macclesfield is such a community club. To be able to give them a brilliant day on Saturday and potentially another day after that would be something special.”

Danny is amongst the many Macc players balancing their playing career with a job off the field, with this acting as one of the reasons why the club is hesitant to go full-time due to the fact that the players would be forced into choosing between their day job and football.

He seems to be doing a fairly respectable job of juggling both though, with the 30-year-old being the owner of a property business helping players make smarter financial decisions to prepare for life after football while also finding the time to become Macclesfield FC’s all-time leading goalscorer.

After three goals in the First Round and one in the Second, he smiled when I asked him if he fancied his chances on Saturday: “Definitely,” he said with confidence.

“It’d be brilliant to get a goal and to get something out the game whichever way that comes.

“We’re not naive in the fact that we know it’s going to be an incredibly tough game. It’s going to require a lot of effort and a good stroke of luck as well but anything can happen on that pitch.

“But, I think it’ll be something that a lot of the Crystal Palace players won’t have experienced before, coming to somewhere like this - those away changing rooms aren’t necessarily the best!

“Hopefully we can make it as difficult as we can and if I can get a goal in the process then that’ll be fantastic.”

Influential Kay to return?

The Silkmen faithful will be looking forward to the return of Josh Kay, whose red card against Bedford Town saw him miss out on defeats against Buxton and Chester as well as midweek’s victory over Radcliffe - an emotionally exhausting run of games for those fans that attended all three.

Macc have benefited on many occasions from the creativity of the Oldham Athletic loanee (the club are confident they can make this permanent having had Josh show interest in staying), whose only real drawback seems to be his disciplinary record with him being the only player in the league to receive two straight reds this season. Extraordinarily, this means he’s received more red cards this season than yellow cards.

“Josh has been fantastic since he came in,” said Elliott, who has been feeding off of Kay’s flawless through-balls and eagerness to look forward in the few games that the 28-year-old hasn’t been either injured or suspended for. “He’s a top quality player.

“You can see the experience that he brings when he comes on the pitch. We’ve got so many really talented players that have all done really well over the last few years whether it’s here or at other clubs.

“Some of the players haven’t come up with the numbers of goals and assists that they would have liked so far this season, but they’re more than capable of doing it so that doesn’t make them a bad player.”

Rooney’s FA Cup history

And Saturday’s clash will act as a full circle moment for Rooney, who came off the bench for Macclesfield Town as a 19-year-old in their FA Cup Third Round clash at home to Everton.

The now 35-year-old progressed through the academy ranks at Macc before signing a professional contract in the summer of 2008. He went on to make 44 appearances for the Silkmen, helping them secure back-to-back survival from League Two relegation.

Having bookended his playing career with spells at the club, Rooney will be hoping to mark his debut managerial season by turning an exceptional cup run into what would be one of the biggest - if not the biggest - cup upset in history.

“To have your first chance as a manager to be at the club where you started is important to me. It’s something I’m really proud of.”

While it’ll be an indisputably monumental day for the players and staff, Saturday’s clash belongs just as much to the supporters, many of whom have never seen Macc play a game at this scale in their lifetimes.

Seeing the Moss Rose host an occasion like this is what the journey of the last six years has built up to, an ascension that began in the ninth tier of English football and has led to a meeting with Premier League giants and FA Cup holders Crystal Palace.

We review the performances in back to back defeats against Buxton and Chester, share some thoughts on the return to the club of Jimmy Holmes as Head of Recruitment, and then it’s looking ahead to Saturday. Full extended preview of the FA Cup Third Round game against Premier League Crystal Palace in what promises to be the biggest game the club has faced, and maybe, just maybe the biggest ever shock in FA Cup history.

Podcast available on all good platforms including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and many more. Or you can listen through the player above.

We’re activley looking for more contributors to the podcast in particular from people who are under represented within the fan base. Do get in touch if you’re intrested in getting involved. If there’s anything you’d like us to cover in future podcasts then leave us a comment and we’ll get it in for future episodes.

In a scathing post-match interview following Tuesday’s 2-0 loss to Chester, the Silkmen boss suggested that some squad members will need to shape up, or ship out, as he seeks reinforcements to address Macclesfield’s recent slump. To add fuel to the fire, director Rob Smethurst also confirmed on social media that he will be appointing a new Head of Recruitment imminently.

Rooney’s warning was not a knee-jerk reaction in the aftermath of a tame Cheshire derby surrender, but spoken from a man who is aware that changes in personnel could be imminent. In reality, hiring the club’s new Head of Recruitment has been in progress since November with a formal announcement expected next week.

No more Mr Nice Guy

Rooney’s brutally honest outburst was unexpected, but as timely as it was relevant. Transitioning from a senior player in last season’s title-winning squad to being catapulted into management at short-notice was always going to be a white-knuckle ride, even before the loss of the team’s leading stars.

On occasions, Rooney has arguably been too patient as his former teammates have struggled to adapt to the step-up to the National League North. But if we thought Roons was going to shield some players from criticism as they come to terms with the tragic loss of Ethan McLeod, Tuesday’s interview amounted to a cutting of the apron strings.

Whilst both the club’s players and staff will be traumatised by Ethan’s passing for a long time, the performances against Buxton and Chester were flat and surprisingly devoid of passion.

Buxton were on a dismal run of only one win in eight (six defeats) before travelling to the Moss Rose yet coasted to victory. Whilst Chester, despite being hampered by illness and injury plus two consecutive losses, rolled their sleeves up in a manner in which the Silkmen were unable to match.

It’s worth reflecting on how cutting Rooney’s comments were at Chester and may suggest the writing is already on the wall for some.

• “Since I’ve took over it’s probably the most frustrated I’ve been”

• “You’re only as good as your forward players. Without Danny Elliott we didn’t look like scoring”

• “What forward players are contributing at the minute, apart from Danny?”

• “Are you going to change, or do we have to bring in new players now? The amount of time they’ve (Macclesfield’s forwards) had to improve and start hitting the back of the net, or creating goals, and they’re not doing it on a consistent basis.

• “They (Chester) wanted it more than us”

• (On Chester’s second goal: “Chester were willing to put their head in where it hurts. You don’t see that when we’re attacking set pieces”

• “We’ve got to the level now (National League North) where some are finding it tough”

It remains to be seen whether Rooney’s outburst was fuelled by kicking players up the backside, or chucking them under the bus. Possibly a combination of both, with a sprinkling of self-preservation as the rookie boss seemingly absolves himself from responsibility for the team’s tactics and lack of cutting edge.

An over reliance on Danny Elliott

Rooney’s praise of top scorer Danny Elliott, who was absent at Chester due to sustaining a knock on Boxing Day, represented a clear broadside at the Silkmen’s other forward players.

But isn’t he missing the bigger picture? And if he is, isn’t that more concerning in itself?

Even Elliott, who has scored 11 league goals in 20 appearances in the NLN, has tended to feed off scraps with goalscoring chances few and far between (Buxton aside), not helped by a lack of energy, bravery on the ball and creativity from Macclesfield’s midfield and full-backs.

Macclesfield could have played until next Christmas and still not scored against Chester, so bereft were the team of attacking impetus in the second half. Isaac Buckley-Ricketts was the only player to be specifically mentioned by Rooney for failing to convert either of his two decent goalscoring opportunities. The winger, a summer signing from Curzon, couldn’t turn home Sam Heathcote’s spilled free-kick in the third minute, whilst his weak shot from a tight angle was easily saved just before half-time.

Silkmen supporter Jack Underwood, a long-time reader of this website, has conducted some interesting analysis in the Star Lane End Facebook group on how little Macclesfield’s other forwards have contributed towards our goals tally.

I don’t want to steal Jack’s thunder (go take a read!), but the long and short of it is that Mellor, Buckley-Ricketts, Duffy, Johnson, Duffy, Woltman, Kay, Etaluku and Ethan McLeod have only scored two more goal league and cup goals between them in comparison to Elliott’s current tally of 16.

Is Rooney justified in criticising our forwards?

Yes… but there are some mitigating factors. Whilst their form has been patchy and they must assume accountability, in my opinion IBR, Johnson, Mellor and Duffy have been mismanaged by Rooney at various points.

Or expressed in another way, I believe all four of these players CAN and WILL contribute more with a better midfield behind them from a manager who is tactically astute to play to their strengths.

Buckley-Ricketts, championed by Savage as one of the best attacking talents in the NLN, has been the biggest bust of the season so far and is averaging only 39 minutes of playing time per game. However, that doesn’t mean he can’t come good. It seems like a long time ago since IBR began the season impressively – two goals in consecutive away games at Oxford and Southport, only to be benched after a difficult game at home to Alfreton in which the whole team struggled.

Isaac was excellent though in the 2-1 home win vs Darlington, even despite him failing to convert a golden chance when rounding the keeper. But after the 3-1 home defeat to Merthyr, Buckley-Ricketts was confined to the bench again. In, out, in, out.

It’s worth pointing that Isaac has only started six league games for Macclesfield. Before Chester, his previous league start came against Leamington in October. Whilst Rooney has shown unwavering faith in some players, in contrast it has been in short supply towards Buckley-Ricketts. It must be stated though that the winger hasn’t helped himself due to some anonymous appearances in the FA Cup qualifiers, and IBR was responsible for a glaring miss from six yards in the FA Trophy at South Shields.

Justin Johnson has probably been the pick of our wide players, yet was on the verge of leaving in October as he became increasingly agitated by his lack of game time which has restricted him to nine league starts. In fact, Johnson only got on the pitch once in our opening five league games as a 92^nd minute substitute on the opening day against Worksop.

It wasn’t until JJ was introduced as an 88^th sub against Darlington and involved in the build-up to Mellor’s winning goal that the penny dropped to Rooney that the wayward winger might still have a part to play. Johnson remains a Macclesfield player more by luck than design.

Undoubtedly the departure of Sean Etaluku and Buckley-Ricketts’ erratic form has helped Johnson’s cause, but he has seized his chance. An assist off the bench at Chorley, two goals including a tremendous winner at home to Curzon from his favoured left wing position underlined the threat Jonson still carries at this level.

Yes, he’ll go missing on occasions, but don’t JJ’s strengths far outweigh his weaknesses?

An indifferent spell in November led to Rooney benching Johnson once again, but positive cameos against Slough and King’s Lynn saw Johnson restored to the starting line-up where he scored at Bedford. Three goals and two assists from a player restricted to only nine starts (from 17 appearances), averaging 41 minutes of time on the field per game, for a team that has the joint fourth worst goal tallies in the league (just 27 from 21 games) should be taken into consideration.

Perhaps out of everyone, D’Mani Mellor’s dip in goals and assists output has been most disappointing – four goals in total, three in the league and no assists, despite averaging 86 minutes per game on the field as Mellor appears seemingly undroppable by Rooney. It’s possible that the stock of last season’s fan favourite was elevated due to the Silkmen’s total dominance of the Northern Premier League.

A decent chunk of Mellor’s 20 league and cup goals came from him playing as a central striker, whilst he only generated a handful of assists despite his outstanding contribution to the team’s overall success.

The step up to the NLN, combined with us losing Mendy and Rooney from central midfield in our starting line-up, has hurt Mellor more than most. You only have to look at D’Mani’s overall positional ‘heat map’ (pictured above) to see just how deep he is having to drop to receive the ball, and that since the arrival of Josh Kay in September Mellor has been mainly played as a winger by Rooney, which patently isn’t his strength.

At his best, Mellor is an energetic, unselfish, quick forward who presses tirelessly with a keen eye for goal. So instead of sticking rigidly to a 4-2-3-1 / 4-1-4-1 formation, maybe it’s time for Rooney to accept that Mellor’s worth to the side is in an advanced, central position at the top end of the pitch to provide Elliott with some much needed support.

Whilst D’Mani was anonymous as a lone striker at Chester, he clearly possesses the attributes to contribute more in the final third. After all, it was Mellor’s excellently timed run and pace which won the penalty at Slough. And most recently on Boxing Day, it was Mellor’s pressing which led to Buxton turning the ball over which was seized on by JJ who found Duffy, only for Elliott to somehow sidefoot Duffy’s centre wide with the goal at his mercy. If it wasn’t for Mellor’s endeavour, Elliott’s chance would never have materialised.

Luke Duffy is another player who is struggling to adapt under Rooney. Duffs has certainly not been the creative, goalscoring force he was last season playing on the left of midfield. But when switched (credit to Rooney) to the centre of midfield Duffy has provided much needed quality, tenacity and creativity in the ‘Rooney role’. Against Darlington at home, Duffy was a revelation in the holding midfield role, registering an 81% pass accuracy with over three-quarters of his passes taking place in Darlington’s half.

Disappointingly, Duffy was dropped to the bench for our next league game against Merthyr as Rooney opted for a midfield two of Dawson and Regan Griffiths. If Duffy had sustained a knock against Darlington there was no mention of it. Those who witnessed the 1-0 away victory at Leamington will recall that Duffy was excellent in the ‘number 10’ position as he produced some silky skills to release Elliott who went on to bag the winner. Yet four days later he found himself on the bench against South Shields which Macclesfield won 1-0 to hand the league leaders their first defeat of the season.

Playing Duffy centrally is an experiment which Rooney subsequently abandoned, preferring the impressive but defensively reckless Josh Kay in the holding and attacking midfield roles.

More recently, Rooney did play Duffy in the holding midfield role against South Shields in the FA Trophy, where Duffy scored the winner in his best display of the season. In the league, Duffy hasn’t produced often enough from his 15 starts, but like Mellor, perhaps he could contribute more if played centrally rather than on the wing.

Midfield matters and where is Dawson more effective?

For all of Rooney’s criticisms of Macclesfield’s forwards, midfield remains the team’s biggest area of weakness that still hasn’t been addressed by the events of the summer.

Against Chester the Silkmen enjoyed 66% of the possession and registered more than double the number of passes (501 vs 221). Yet such was the negativity of our sideways and back build-up play we seldom threatened going forward.

Is this due to tactical reasons or a safety-first / lack of bravery on the ball from the players?

Buxton was a similar story. 58% possession for Macc, 371 passes vs 232, but it was Buxton who looked more lively and inventive in and around the 18-yard box. Often our tempo is slow from the back, we lack the ability to beat a man and the team’s play seems perennially stuck in second gear without any urgency.

Ironically only Fylde, Southport and South Shields had more possession than Macclesfield when we played them in the league, and two of those games we won (Southport and South Shields). As the old saying goes, it’s not always about having the ball, but what you do when you’ve got it!

The debate over where Paul Dawson’s best position is rumbles on. The captain has been very impressive when switched to centre back versus King’s Lynn, South Shields and Bedford, but most will argue that Dawson’s drive, tenacity and eye for goal lends itself better to midfield. I’m not so sure.

Whilst Dawson has excelled in central midfield against Worksop, Peterborough Sports and Totton, he’s also appeared laboured and ineffective against teams with better movement and energy in the middle of the park – Merthyr and Fylde being two examples which spring to mind.

When playing at centre half, Macclesfield are able to utilise Dawson’s excellent range of passing to get the ball forward more quickly. On occasions, there is an argument to suggest that the Silkmen’s captain goes too long, too often, effectively bypassing our midfield in the process. But this is preferable to the often monotonous build-up play when Heathcote and Menayese are deployed in central defence.

Revamping the Silkmen’s midfield will be a pressing priority for the club’s new Head of Recruitment. The on loan James Edmondson will return to parent club Blackburn Rovers at the end of this month, having not quite hit the heights of his inaugural loan spell last season, his wonder strike against Slough in the FA Cup aside.

Josh Kay, on loan from Oldham until the end of the season, has clearly added creativity and energy to Macclesfield’s midfield, when available. The frustration though is that due to a combination of two suspensions after his red cards against Marine and Bedford, plus a month out injured, Kay has only been available for selection in 12 of Macclesfield’s 22 fixtures since the Oldham loanee joined us in September.

Set piece vulnerability and an absence of leaders

Macclesfield have conceded 30 goals from 21 league games, with over a third of these coming from dead-ball situations – 5 corners (Alfreton, Merthyr, Fylde, Buxton and Chester), 3 penalties (Chorley x2 and Fylde), 2 free-kicks (Merthyr) and 1 long-throw (Chorley).

Our inability to defend from corners needs urgently addressing.

• Alfreton (Lund outmuscled Mellor to head in at the back post)

• Merthyr (Handley lost Fensome to sidefoot home)

• Fylde (Omerod got the run on Fensome to score with a glancing header)

• Buxton (Ward lost Fensome to steer home)

• Chester (Carlos Dos Santos was beaten in the air, and Leak beat Heathcote to prod home the loose ball)

I don’t mean for this to be a witchhunt against Lewis Fensome, who generally has adapted well after filling in at right back following the sale of Pemberton and Luke Matheson’s subsequent injury. But clearly Fensome has been found wanting in terms of concentration and aerial dominance at times. If I’m being ultra critical, Fensome was also outmuscled following Chorley’s long-throw which led to their late winner.

Both in midfield and at the back the Silkmen lack leaders. There is no vocal presence in the team outside of Dawson, whose temperament (as we know) can be fragile. We desperately need physically imposing, dominant characters in central areas to become more competitive in the NLN.

Rooney’s problems to solve

This piece might come across as being overly negative on Rooney. Quite rightly, the Silkmen’s boss gets a pass for inheriting a challenging situation in the aftermath of Savage’s exit.

And yet for all of the challenges he’s been presented with, Chester was the first time he’s shown any obvious signs of frustration. Rooney has shown flashes of turning Macclesfield into genuine play-off contenders, as highlighted by our four consecutive league wins over Curzon, Leamington, South Shields and Peterborough. There’s also the ‘small’ matter of him leading us to the third round of the FA Cup for next Saturday’s money-spinner against cup holders Crystal Palace, and we remain in the FA Trophy.

This season’s brief was consolidation in the league, a play-off push and a cup run. From the outside looking in, aiming any criticism Rooney’s way therefore sounds preposterous and wholly unfair. The nagging feeling remains though that Macclesfield’s amazing cup run has papered over the cracks, some of which Rooney shouldn’t be exempt from criticism for…

Rooney’s recruitment has been a stick which some supporters have chosen to beat him with – only Kay and Edmondson from Rooney’s 12 signings have cemented themselves in the startling line-up. However, Rooney’s hands have firmly been tied financially as a result of Savage’s lavish spending, and the timing of his appointment when most sought after players had already committed to their new clubs in the summer.

My issue with Rooney is not linked to recruitment, but moreover our style of play, lack of attacking intensity and his team set-up and selections. Don’t even get me started on his preference for Lacey over Brandon Lee prior to Brandon’s latest injury setback at Slough.

I do agree wholeheartedly with Rooney’s assertion that every goal, every point and every victory has been hard-earned for Macclesfield. To underline this, in the league we have been in the lead for an average duration of just 15 minutes per match (based on a 90-minute duration) – only Leamington and Hereford have had less ‘control’ than us in comparison. Our tally of 27 goals is the joint fourth worst in the NLN and we’ve kept only three clean sheets in 21 league fixtures.

Despite this, the Silkmen’s season remains very much alive IF Rooney can address some of our very obvious deficiencies. We currently sit in 15^th place, but only six points outside of the play-offs with three / four games in hand over our rivals. Whilst January and February’s fixture pile-up may do more harm than good to our chances of climbing the table, IF we can utilise some of the FA Cup money to freshen up the squad all is not lost.

Rooney retains the public backing of the Board and there’s no suggestion that his position is under review. But burying heads in the sand, expecting performances to magically improve and turning a blind eye to the underlying data is a risky strategy.

For many reasons, the Crystal Palace game can’t come soon enough.