Macclesfield next for Pools

By Albatross
August 15 2002

Here come the Macc Lads.... Macclesfield are the next visitors to Victoria Park. Let Albatross mark your card about who to watch out for....

Pools will seek to continue their perfect start of the season at home to Macclesfield on Saturday, but to do so they will have to break a record: the Moss Rose team have never lost at the Vic, having played five league and cup games. In fact, they've beaten us three times, including last season when it looked as though the defeat had put the tin lid on Pools' playoff hopes.

So far this season Dave Moss's side haven't set the division alight; a 1-1 draw at home to York was followed by a 3-2 defeat away at Orient on Tuesday night. By most accounts Macc were a bit Jekyll and Hyde at Brisbane Road, going in at the break 3-0 down only to come out and score twice in the second half. A lot may depend on which of those teams turns up at the Vic on Saturday.

Dave Moss did a good job for Macclesfield after taking over last season, and while there has been idle talk of Playoff Places, Moss has had to look for talent on the cheap over the close season. Recent signing Neil Robinson arrived from Prescot Cables in the North-West Counties over the summer - a standard roughly equivalent to the Northern League - while other free signings included Paul Aldridge (son of John and with him at Tranmere before signing on at Moss Rose at the end of last season) and Lee Hardy.

Hardy and Robinson however are both injured at the moment, and the Silkmen will also be missing Chris Byrne and the suspended Dave Ridler. Darren Tinson may return though.

Names to watch out for include Lee Glover, and Matthew Tipton. The name most Poolies will recognise though is Kyle Lightbourne. Having signed last summer, the Bermudan International arrived with much expected but failed to deliver. He did come off the bench to score against Orient though, and may well start on Saturday.

Pools though look in the mood to carry on their good start; with no new injury worries the same side that started against Boston should line up again. Paul Smith may be fit, but Turner isn't under too much pressure to rush him back following two convincing wins.

We may not have beaten Macclesfield at the Vic, but records like that don't go on for ever and I think Pools will win 2-1, with Williams and Watson to score the goals.