AFTER coming through a very tricky test at Harlow Town, Macc return to league action this weekend with another tough test, at in-form Rochdale.
The Silkmen clipped the Ryman Premier League side’s wings with a 2-0 win to set up a second-round clash with League Two rivals Port Vale.
Before that, manager Keith Alexander wants his players to use the confidence gained from Saturday’s win to turn around their results in the league.
The Silkmen have lost their last three League Two games, dropping to 20th in the table, although Alexander rightly maintains that his players have been performing better than a record of three straight losses suggests.
"We’ve played well in the last three or four weeks without winning games," he conceded. "And Rochdale are flying at the minute. I watched them draw 1-1 at Lincoln a few weeks ago and they looked a very good side, so it doesn’t get any easier in this league.
"We seem to put in a good performance and follow it with a bad one so we’ve got to take the Harlow performance - and the win - into the next game.
"But if we can go there, play poorly and win, I’ll be happy."
A crucial role in the win on Saturday was played by Nat Brown, who came to the Moss Rose on loan from Wrexham towards the end of last week.
Brown helped shore up the defence in the game’s early stages before impressing in a midfield role.
The six-footer also added height and strength to Macc who have struggled recently in defending set-pieces, a weakness not usually associated with Alexander’s defences.
"Nat did a really good job for me in the middle of the park," enthused the Macc boss. "He wins his headers and he passes it simple. He gives us a bit of height in there, which we’ve been needing."
While Brown caught the eye on Saturday Alexander, who was his manager at Lincoln City, warned: "Most players do well in their first game at a new club, it’s up to him to carry on doing well.
"We brought him in because he can play in defence and midfield and the lad can score goals, I think he got 10 or 12 goals for me in a season once.
"He’s a good sort, he’s got a good attitude to his work and his size gives us some help at set-pieces, where we needed more height."
Alexander’s playing options are widening and, although defender Paul Morgan is unlikely to return to action after sustaining a blow to the head against Rotherham, midfielder Jamie Tolley was named to the squad after his knee ligament injury.
After completing his suspension, striker Gareth Evans is available again.
"We’re getting to a situation where we can start to rest players because we’ve not exactly been spoiled for choice and it’s good to have options on the bench.
"Jamie is a very good player and he’s a good man to have around around the squad, on the pitch and in the dressing room."
Another man getting plaudits from his boss is Terry Dunfield, who hit a fine second goal for Macc at Barrows Farm.
Dunfield has so often been the Silkman taking games by the scruff of the neck, and he was delighted to let fly and settle the cup-tie.
"The ball sat up nicely and I just concentrated on hitting the target. It was brilliant to see it hit the back of the net.
"Fortunately, it killed the game and made sure it wasn’t a tense last five minutes for us."
MACC’S FA Cup second-round tie, at Port Vale, will take place on Friday, November 28.
