ROSS Draper got on the scoresheet for Macclesfield against Oldham - but Macc boss Keith Alexander is calling on his strikers to show their firepower.
Midfielder Draper smashed the ball home off the underside of the bar in League One Oldham’s 2-1 victory over Town at Moss Rose on Tuesday night as they gear up for the start of the League Two season on August 8.
It was only Macc’s second goal of pre-season with Alexander demanding more from the five strikers who are currently at the club.
He wants hitmen Emile Sinclair, Stephen Reed, Kyle Wilson, Kristian Dennis and Vinny Mukendi to start finding the back of the net but also has ex-Macc hitman Matthew Tipton on trial who is trying to win a place back in the Town frontline.
"The five strikers have got to start showing," said Alexander, who hasn’t ruled out signing another frontman if his current crop don’t perform.
"It is hard to be critical in pre-season as the players are working on their match sharpness but two goals in four games is obviously a problem.
"We are looking to get another striker in if we don’t start scoring but we have to work within our budget and strikers can be expensive so it is up to the lads at the club to show what they can do."
Former Macc striker Tipton was at Moss Rose from 2002-05 and scored 41 goals in 131 appearances before returning on loan in 2006-07 from Bury.
He has since been playing non-league football with Hyde United and Droylsden but he is now trying to impress Town’s boss.
"Matthew has been here before and we know all about him," continued Alexander. "He has been out of this level for a couple of years and so we have got to make sure that he is fit and that he is better than what we have got."
The Silkmen are suffering something of an injury crisis at the moment.
Sean Hessey will miss the big kick off against Northampton with knee ligament damage and utility player Nat Brown has shin splints and will be in a cast for four weeks and then will probably face another four weeks out.
Paul Morgan, Paul Bolland, Ricky Baines (all groin) and Stephen Reed and Kyle Wilson (calf) are also struggling.
"We are hoping these are all just minor injuries. It’s when players come back and are raring to go and it goes from taking it easy to the intensity of training.
"But there is nothing you can do about it although it is disappointing."
It was agony for Macc who lost out to a last gasp goal against Oldham.
Latics Chris Taylor scored with the last kick of the game with the score line harsh on the Silkmen who matched their opponents from League One for long periods.
