Silkmen v Rovers

[Rockford's Love Child]

So as not to spoil our Christmases with thoughts of Tranmere, I thought I would get this one started early.

Macclesfield are the form team in the National League at present and we could not have asked for a more difficult double-header over the holiday period. John Askey has done a terrific job at Moss Rose. Operating on a shoestring budget his side only just missed out on the play-offs last season, and look set to go close again this time. The performance of our manager, blessed with an embarrassment of riches, is pitiful by contrast.

Macc are apparently well organised and have some decent players, notably Dennis up front (the division's leading scorer) and Whitaker in midfield. Along with Wrexham, Lincoln and one or two others, Macclesfield will probably be competing for fifth place come the end of the season, which makes Saturday's game absolutely vital for Rovers. If we are to have any lingering hope of getting in the play-offs we would surely have to take four points off Macc, and defeat on Boxing Day probably kills us off completely. The top four places already look well beyond us.

Injuries permitting, I would start with the same line up and formation as at Halifax to try and get some semblance of continuity. It seems that Brabin will be here all season, and probably for the full two years of his contract, so from now on I am going to try and zone the manager out and take whatever pleasure from our performances I can (the first half last week, for example).

This is our first ever League visit to Macclesfield, although in 1991 I attended a game at Moss Rose against the now defunct Chester City. This game is no longer all ticket, which tells you everything about the apathy among Rovers fans at the moment. Hopefully, we can still take around 1,000 and get a result to keep our season alive.

 

[Sparky]

Askey has done a great job at Macc and along with perhaps Challinor and Jimmy Harvey may be names on Palios' back up list if required. But I agree with RLC in that unless we're in danger of going down, GB will be here for some time yet.

I too would be unchanged and despite recent form, I wouldn't be surprised if we got a result as away league performances against some of the better sides in the division have been encouraging at times.

 

[Ian]

Definitely stick to the same team and shape as Halifax. Although we didn't win the game we were on top and should have killed it off. This xmas period is crucial really and will set the course for the rest of the season. Mid table mediocrity or a slight sniff of a top six place. I know where my money is going but tis the season to be jolly so let's hope for a positive Xmas.

Happy Xmas everyone!

 

[Stickman]

Brabin and Davies have probably ensured we get a good hiding with their "we're better than our league position suggests" talk on the club website. Why don't they stop coming out with this rubbish which just insults the intelligence of supporters who have been at the games? The comments about us pressing the opposition too hard and getting caught out in defence with a sucker punch are particularly laughable. At times the football has been as poor as anything we have seen over the last few years and I can't remember many games which I have left thinking "we were really unlucky to lose that one". We need to start doing our talking on the pitch and last week at Halifax was a small step in the right direction. However, I'm not at all convinced that we are about to go on a long unbeaten run and make the play offs. I hope I'm wrong and will be the first to admit it if we are celebrating promotion at Wembley in May!

 

[Boz]

I agree this is a critical game, as is the return fixture. Lose either and reckon we can forget about the play-offs

Have to be honest, I know little about Macclesfield. Think their star player, Dennis, is on loan from Stockport and as highlighted above, their manager has worked miracles on a tight budget. Been to Moss Rose once, when we lost in a Barnes era pre-season friendlt

On team selection, Ridehalgh hasn't trained all week and must be a major doubt. If unfit, my preference would be a recall for Matt Hill, as the attacking element of Vaughan's game was supressed when he filled in at left-back second half. While agreeing that it would be prefereable to otherwise start with the same line-up, given the way Brabin's been bigging up Tomlinson, it wouldn't be a surprise if he starts.

It will be interesting to see how many of the SWA make the trip. Don't think we'll hit the 1k mark, given the poor ticket sales to date and disillusion with Brabin. My guess would be 800-850. As for the game, hard to call. Play like we did first half and last ten minutes at Halifax and we'll definitely get something.

 

[Cowshed Kid]

Can see this falling foul of the weather if the rain keeps up as expected. Postponed to a Tuesday night and the inevitable midweek defeat.

 

[bigmart]

think we will draw again 1 1

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

A scrappy affair but a battling performance from Rovers and a massive victory, which we just about deserved. In fairness to Brabin, I think he got the tactics and approach right today. In difficult conditions with a swirling wind we went far more direct than we have in previous games, pressing high up the pitch and making use of the height and physicality in the side. Macclesfield are not very physical and try to play through midfield and I think we just outbattled them today. This was epitomised by our two goals, great headers from Mekki corners (when was the last time we scored two goals from corners ?!).

We had the advantage of the wind in the first half and started strongly, pressing Macc back into their own half and preventing them from playing out from the back. In addition to McNulty's excellent header, we had several other decent chances. However, on about the twenty minute mark Macc came into the game and we started to stand off them a little. Having said that, we defended reasonably welll and it seemed we would see the half out until the second minute of stoppage time when we failed to clear a set play and a ball was whipped in from the right for Dennis to equalise. There was an element of bad fortune in the goal, as GTF was nearest to the crosser but apparently could not reach him to close him down due to an injury which saw him replaced at half time by Tomlinson.

Despite the timing of the equaliser, our heads did not go down in the second half and we gradually grew into the game again. The spirit we showed in the second period was the most pleasing aspect of the performance, and although the game was generally of poor quality, there is no doubt we shaded the half and created the better chances over the ninety minutes. In addition to the goals, Norwood missed three one-on-ones in the second period alone. By contrast, Davies did not have to make a serious save after half time.

Individually, the majority of the players worked hard, with special mention going to Hill, Harris, Mekki and Norwood. My man of the match, however, would be the excellent Steve McNulty.

Hopefully we are finally turning the corner under GB, and can push ourselves back into contention with the two home games that follow.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

Thanks for the report, RLC. It's nice to play well but even better if we win. Let's hope this victory gives the squad the boost they need. And I hope Adam Mekki has done enough to earn a new contract.

 

[Sparky]

Thanks RLC. GB has rightly thanked the rovers fans who made the trip and were in good voice. I'm pleased McNulty played well and hopefully we'll start to see why he was in the L2 team of the season last year.

Disappointing that Norwood has once again missed good chances. Obviously today it hasn't mattered but it is still a concern.

Agree with BBTC about Mekki. Far from perfect but has done well of late. A contract until the end of the season should be offered.

I'd be interested how Ihikwe got on alongside Big Mac.

A very good result but we must follow it up with good results and performances at home in the next 7 days.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

McNulty and Ihiekwe were very solid and Macclesfield created very little, even in the periods when they were on top. Big Mac celebrated his goal with the Rovers fans and will hopefully now be accepted by the SWA, many of whom have had doubts about him. I am sure that Mekki will get an extension to his contract, but I am less sure about Matt Hill who has been criticised again today in some quarters. It seems the decision to bring Tomlinson on for GTF was at least partly to stem Macclesfield's attacks down our left hand side (GTF gave Hill no protection in the first half, in fairness).

 

[Sparky]

I'll be amazed if GTF stays on and I'm also not convinced about Hill who overall this season, hasn't impressed. Will need a new LB tho as Ridehalgh isn't good enough there imo.

 

[Ian]

Thanks RLC. Excellent result and just what we needed after the last few weeks. Not getting carried away though as we need to be consistent. The usual pattern would be to lose our home games now so the next few games at home are crucial as Sparky mentions.

 

[Cowshed Kid]

From the Macclesfield Official site.
Could there possibly be a worse case of sour grapes?
He must have been at a different game to me.....or he's borrowed one of Brabin's scripts!

John Askey believes difficult conditions and refereeing decisions influenced Silkmen's defeat

After Macclesfield Town fell to a 2-1 defeat at home to Tranmere on Boxing Day, manager John Askey has stated his disappointment of the loss and also the decisions that went against his side on the day.

Although the Silkmen remain just outside the playoffs positions, Askey would’ve been hoping to at least get a draw in front of the home crowd in the bad conditions.

Askey said: ‘’ It’s always disappointing when we lose, the way we did as well from two corners, we should’ve at least got a draw, conditions weren’t favourable to play but saying that one team tried to play football, but the other team just tried to stop us.

‘’Once we equalised it was up to us to break them down, and go for the win, but then they scored from a corner and it was a sucker-punch. That was the only way you could see them scoring apart from late on when they broke through.’’

The defeat saw Paul Lewis sent off in the later stages of the game for two yellow cards, the second of which came for an alleged dive, although Lewis was clearly seen to be tripped and Askey believes the decisions didn’t help the Silkmen in the loss.

He said: ‘’There were a lot of yellow cards, first half I lost count of how many fouls they committed, they got bookings but not enough for the fouls they committed. In the second half every time we committed a foul we got booked, we should’ve been awarded a handball which was he chose not to see, but we still needed to play better so we shouldn’t have any excuses, it just didn’t help.

‘’It was a foul for us on Paul Lewis, but apparently he’s dived, the referee has only done it because he had recently booked one of their players for a blatant dive.’’

Let's hope we give them a good spanking on Saturday and something else to moan about.