Your future hasn’t been written yet. No one’s has. Unless you sign up to the notion of pre-determinism, which – for the end of the week – is a bit too deep to go into. And it’s not really our area. Then, what is our area. Nowt in football is nailed on. Just ask the Leeds United lads not so long ago cruising back to up the Premier League and now falling out of the Championship’s automatic promotion places after losing indoors to the Blades.
So with four points from the last six, are our playoff hopes still dragging on like this interminable Brexit thing?
Macclesfield Town v Stevenage: The Lowdown
We’ll get back to you on that. First, we need to get Macclesfield’s take on it. The Silkmen need the points too; last week’s win lifting them off the bottom at Notts County’s expense and leaving ’em three points from the safety of 22nd. Like us, goal difference is an issue if we’re going to get what we’re both looking for. Just eight games left now for us, and gaps still to close. An extension to our playoff hopes here? Or will they be revoked?
The Opposition
P10 W4 D3 L3 F19 A10; last result: Stevenage 1-0 Macclesfield Town, 08/09/2018
How old would you like to feel right about now? It’s almost EIGHT years to the day since we last paid a visit to Moss Rose. That’s the age of a small human who’s long since learned to talk back! It’s a good day to look back on, don’t get us wrong. Any time you win four-zip on the road is by our measure. As things stand, we’ve yet to lose a Football League match against ’em. It’s only from three games, but a record to keep intact all the same.
The Referee
P26 W5 D9 L12 F30 A38; last result: Stevenage 1-3 Mansfield Town, 22/12/2018
If you’re being described as a “poundland Trevor Kettle“, you’re in trouble. So it looks like we’ve drawn one of the short straws this week; Dean Whitestone inflicted on us for the second time this term. It’s safe to say that five wins out of 26 says we’re better off without him. That said, we did win the two previous games before we went down 3-1 indoors to Mansfield in December. You never know, then. Miracles ‘n’ all that…
The Form
The Macc lads are in a bit of bother at the arse end of the table. The Silkmen are three points adrift of Yeovil, who sit on the right side of the line that separates us from the piss-poor pair plunging into the Conference at the end of term. Their game in hand is all very well, but they also need to make up six goals on the Glovers before it counts for ‘owt. Coming back from Huish Park last time out with a win won’t do any harm, we guess.
With that win last weekend, Macc halted a run of seven games without a win. It’s the sort of run you’d expect from a side struggling to keep their heads above water. Not that we went five without a win recently, oh no.
Going to Moss Rose, we’re up against a side with the join-worst home record and the second-worst in defence. In each of their last six matches there, the oppo scored at least one – as have many of the Silkmen’s visitors so far this season, to be fair. It’s not a trend that we think needs bucking lads, but we still ain’t kept a clean sheet on the road since October. Maybe both of us eye this up one with interest then. 1-1 for all, and all for 1-1.
• MORE ABOUT ‘EM: Macclesfield Town club profile
