Preston Grasshoppers vs. Macclesfield
25th September 2021, 2:30pm
Hoppers host Macclesfield this coming Saturday for their third home game of 2021 in what is a sharp contrast from when they last opposed each other at Lightfoot Green in 2018 when the visitors were bottom of National 2 North on their way to relegation into North Premier.
Macclesfield and Hoppers currently lie fourth and fifth on ten points each in the current league table, separated by just four match points in the visitors favour. Just how will that look after Saturday’s encounter?
Whilst Hoppers were successful against York last Saturday at Lightfoot Green, our visitors suffered a heavy defeat at Priory Park at the hands of League leaders Otley.
After a dreadful spate of injuries in the first half during which time all three Hoppers replacements had been called upon after just thirty minutes, the home side stuck resolutely to their task showing great charcator and eventually ran out comfortable winners.
Before last Saturday, Macclesfield had made a good start to the season with a comfortable win at Priory Park over newly promoted Burnage before putting Northwich to the sword in an all Cheshire derby.
As mentioned earlier, Hoppers last met Macclesfield during the 2018/19 season in National 2 North and before that during 2015/16 and 2013/14 when on both occasions our visitors were on their way to promotion, Macclesfield being victorious in four of the six games.
Competitive games between the two clubs go back to 1993 when the first meeting took place at Lightfoot Green on the 6th of November, Hoppers taking the spoils eighteen points to ten.
There have been twenty three meetings between the two clubs at 1st XV level, with each having won eleven and one being drawn thirty six all in Cheshire. Victories in league fixtures shows the advantage being in Macclesfield’s favour by nine to eight. The points total of thirty six from the drawn game at Priory Park on the 24th of September 2005 still stands as a Preston Grasshoppers record in tied league games.
DIGGER
Another reminder to Hoppers supporters that the 1869 Club are running a coach to Sandal next week, departing the Clubhouse at 10:15. It’s rumoured that the ‘Class of ’99’ are travelling with the party and will no doubt be recalling their memories of sealing promotion at that particular location back in the day….it could (will) get messy!
Team News
- Oga MABAYA
- Chris TAYLOR (C)
- Pete ALTHAM
- Luke PROCTER
- Ewan NAYLOR
- Ally MURRAY
- Sam GALE
- Matt LAMPREY
- Jake SQUIRREL
- Ben PEARSON
- Rob MEADOWS
- Sam STOTT
- Alex TAYLORSON
- Jacob BROWNE
- Kev BROWN
- Olli TRIPPIER
- Jake BALL
- Ben DORRINGTON
