By Albatross
January 10 2003

The game at Macclefield is in doubt. A Friday Lunchtime Pitch Inspection is due, and even if it passes that a final decision is unlikely to take place before Saturday Morning. Assuming it goes ahead though, it's Match Preview time, brought to you from an under-the-weather Albatross. The main concern about tomorrow's game is "will it go ahead?" The pitch has been covered, but hard overnight frosts over the last few days have left the pitch very hard, and a preliminary inspection will take place at midday on Friday. I live about 30 miles away, and the good news at the time of writing (10am Friday) is that last night was a lot milder - I didn't have to de-ice the car this morning for the first time in more than a week - and the sun is out. The sky is clear though, and that doesn't bode well as it may well mean it gets a lot colder overnight. The weather forecast currently doesn't bode well with temperatures predicted to be only a little above zero.

Assuming the match does go ahead, the advice to all travelling fans still has to be to wrap up warm. Macclesfield's accomodation for away fans is a large, uncovered terrace behind the goal and past experience is that it can get very cold on there - the fact that it usually seems to be January or February when we play there doesn't help! I've got a cold as it is, so if you see someone in so many layers that he looks like the Michelin Man, with a Pools Dut hat, it's probably me!

On to the match itself, and Macclesfield will be looking to pull a bit further away from the relegation scramble. Currently in 19th, they are just five points clear of the relegation spots. Current form is not great; a 3-1 win at Wrexham on New Years Day was their first in the league for just over two months, and although they have also managed three draws in the meantime a big improvement is needed to keep them safe. Like many clubs, Macclesfield are not well off, and this isn't helped by the apparent indifference of many in the town about their club: attendances at Moss Rose have frequently dipped below 2000, with less than 1600 turning out for their last home win against Oxford at the end of October. Even last Saturday's home FA Cup Tie against Watford - a game in which they performed creditably despite a 2-0 defeat - bought less than 4500 into the ground.

Dave Moss has therefore found it difficult to bring in the quality players that Macclefield need, and has been searching near and far for new recruits - quite literally. Possibly in the squad for the game against Pools will be Striker Neil Ross - after a protracted on-off saga he should sign from Stockport in time to play - and Canadian International midfielder Martin Nash who has joined from the USA's A-League.

Their main goal threat this season has come from three players. Kyle Lightbourne has scored ten goals - seven in the league - and is having a much better time at the club this season after disappointing many last year; Danny Whittaker with nine (four in the cups); and Matthew Tipton with eight (half in the cups). 31 goals in 25 games is not the best in the division by a long way, and they have relied on their defence (36 conceded) to try and keep games tight. They have only lost by more than two goals once this season.

The Silkmen are one of the few teams to have a better record away than at home, taking 14 points on their travels compared to just 12 at home. Three of those points of course came in the 2-0 defeat of Pools, when late goals from two Dannys - Whittaker and Adams - saw Macclesfield continue their run at the Vic, where they have never lost. Although Pools haven't managed to go unbeaten at Moss Rose, they nevertheless have reason to have fond memories of the place, with wins there in the last two seasons and a memorable late comeback to draw 3-3 the season before.

For Pools, there will be at least one change from the win over Boston; Graeme Lee is suspended after picking up five bookings. The smart money would seem to be on Mickey Barron moving inside to partner Chris Westwood, with Jon Bass playing at full-back; although should Newell decide to stick with Barron on the right, James Sharp look more likely to start than Gordon Simms, after making the bench ahead of Simms a couple of times recently.

Elsewhere, it looks likely that the team will pretty much pick itself, with only the choice of Richardson or Henderson up front likely to be a close call. It had been hoped that Gordon Watson would be appearing on the bench for this game, but with the midweek reserve game called off, it's probably a bit too soon for him now.

Should the game go ahead, the pitch is likely to be hard rather than breaking up, and hopefully will be better for playing football on; and given the respective form of both teams it's hard to forecast anything other than a Pools Victory. 2-1 to the Hartlepool then, with Williams and Tinkler to notch.