A month-by-month review of the 2025/26 Enterprise National League North campaign, stepping in to a historic first month of 2026!
The New Year got off to a traditionally frosty start which saw the Silkmen’s visit to Darlington, scheduled for the 2nd January, postponed to a later date due to freezing temperatures in the North East.
Cheshire was also affected by the sub-zero conditions, with the Leasing.com Stadium’s hallowed turf invisible underneath a thick layer of snow, cleared in record time by a magnificent crew of volunteers to ensure Tuesday evening’s game against Radcliffe could go ahead, allowing Josh Kay to return from suspension in time for Saturday’s historic Emirates FA Cup tie against Crystal Palace.
Macc would put in one of their performances of the season that evening at home to Radcliffe, taking all three points courtesy of strikes from Isaac Buckley-Ricketts and Paul Dawson, who would become an infamous pair of goal scorers for a different reason just four days later.
The date finally arrived on which the Silkmen would host Premier League outfit Crystal Palace at the Leasing.com Stadium, live in front of the world’s television cameras with millions watching from home, who like the 5,500 supporters in attendance in Macclesfield, would witness the greatest Emirates FA Cup shock of all time, with Dawson heading home just before the break ahead of Buckley-Ricketts skilfully converting a second midway through the second half. Yeremy Pino pulled one back in the final minute of regulation time, but it wouldn’t be enough to prevent history from re-writing itself, lining up a Fourth Round tie against same level opposition Brentford.
Elliot Osborne signed for the Silkmen in the aftermath of the Cup success following his departure from local rivals Altrincham. The midfielder would go on to play a prominent role in the middle of the park for Macc in the second half of the season.
A trip to Woking in the Isuzu FA Trophy was postponed on the Tuesday immediately after the Palace game, the mood was buoyant and momentum was with Macc, interrupted slightly by the announcement with the team already en route. The game would pushed back by a week.
The Cup bounce would continue to have a positive effect on the Saturday following when Oxford City were on the end of a 3-0 drubbing at the Leasing.com Stadium with D’Mani Mellor on target twice along with FA Cup hero Isaac Buckley-Ricketts.
The Silkmen would embark on the journey south once more for their FA Trophy tie against Woking, this time it would go ahead in what proved to be less than ideal conditions once again, with Macc falling to a narrow 2-1 defeat. D’Mani Mellor would score Macc’s only goal of the night which wouldn’t be enough to continue our run in the competition.
New dates were confirmed for trips to both Hereford, Telford and Alfreton in mid-March with further postponements required for both games due to the Cup related carnage.
Macc brought in attacking reinforcements in the form of prolific striker James Gale for the remaining fixtures with sights set firmly on promotion to the National League. Worksop Town were Macc’s first opponents having been boosted by Gale, who’d been announced that morning, and ran out 4-2 winners, courtesy of two goals apiece for Luke Duffy and D’Mani Mellor.
The Silkmen’s impressive form would eventually falter on the road at Peterborough Sports in an end-to-end night under the lights at Pims Park, despite a first half hat-trick from Luke Duffy, the hosts would go on to take all three points, turning the game on its head against a leggy Macc side.
John Rooney recruited Preston North End man Kacper Pasiek on loan for the remainder of the 2025/26 season to provide cover for the injured Brandon Lee and competition for current first choice left back Luis Lacey.
The Silkmen’s return to form wouldn’t take long with victory at the first time of asking at home to Bedford the following Saturday in the final action of January. Pasiek made the perfect start to life at the Leasing.com Stadium with a goal on his debut, proving to the decisive goal following Josh Kay’s early opener.
Results in January:
Macclesfield FC 2-1 Radcliffe FC
Macclesfield FC 2-1 Crystal Palace
Macclesfield FC 3-0 Oxford City
Woking FC 2-1 Macclesfield FC
Worksop Town 2-4 Macclesfield FC
Peterborough Sports 4-3 Macclesfield FC
Macclesfield FC 2-1 Bedford Town
Players signed:
Kacper Pasiek (loan from Preston North End)
Players departed:
Jack Rogers
