Match Preview by Leon Higgins

After a 2-1 win at Oxford City to start the month off, Mark Bradshaw’s side followed that up with an emphatic 4-0 victory at Marine upon their travels to Merseyside. With a first ever trip to Cheshire to face Macclesfield, Curzon are looking to make it a hat trick of away wins.

With only five games taking place in the National League North last weekend due to the FA Cup final qualifying round, Curzon made the most of teams not playing to climb into the play off places. The Nash sit in the 7th and final play off place in the league table on 16 points, ahead of Merthyr and Kidderminster by virtue of goal difference with Merthyr also having a game in hand.

The Silkmen currently sit in the bottom half of the table in 15th position on 12 points after ten matches, four points behind Curzon and three ahead of Alfreton in the final relegation place.

Macclesfield do however come into this match off the back of qualifying for the first round proper of the FA Cup for the first time in their short history after beating Stamford 1-0 last weekend. They will host AFC Totton in the first round at the start of November.

Of Macclesfield’s last five games, three have come in the FA Cup with the win over Stamford coming after home wins in the competition over lower league opposition in Nantwich Town (2-0) and Atherton Laburnum Rovers (3-0). League defeats have come amid their cup run with home defeats to Chorley 3-2 and Marine 1-0.

Macclesfield have some familiar faces to Curzon fans with Luis Lacey, Isaac Buckley-Ricketts and Luke Griffiths all leaving the Nash in the summer to join the Silkmen. Curzon do however have Alex Curran who left to go to Macclesfield before returning to the Tameside last season and has since become a important part of the Nash midfield.

Head to Head:

There has only been two competitive matches between the sides with both clashes coming in the FA Trophy in the last two seasons.

The two competitive FA Trophy matches have both been played at the Tameside Stadium. In 2023 it was the Silkmen who ran out 2-0 winners before also winning in 2024, 5-3 on penalties after a 2-2 draw. Macclesfield also won the first match between the sides in July of 2023, 4-1 in a pre season friendly also at the Tameside.

The Nash have previously faced Macclesfield Town reserves in the Manchester leagues.

Curzon Ashton:

• Brad Holmes has the most assists when coming off the bench in the league (2)
• Only Flyde’s Danny Mayor and Jonathan Ustabasi, Chester’s Dylan Mottley – Henry and Merthyr’s Tom Handley (3) have more goals than Joe Rodwell Grant (2) when coming on as a substitute.
• Alongside South Shields, Chorley and Merthyr – Curzon are yet to concede a goal in second half stoppage time.
• Spennymoor, Bedford and Hereford are the only other teams alongside the Nash not to have a defender score so far this campaign.
• 6 goals have come from Midfielders, Kings Lynn (9) and Chorley (8) are the only sides with more.

Macclesfield:

• Paul Dawson (GW1), EX Curzon defender Luis Lacey (GW3 and GW6), Max Dearnley (GW5) and Sam Heathcote (GW8) have all featured in National League North team of the week
• Danny Elliott has 5 goals this season – The joint 13th most in the league.
• Only South Shields (3) have conceded less first half goals than Macclesfield’s (4)
• Only Radcliffe (3) have had more red cards than Macclesfield’s (2) with the two being direct reds which is the most in the league.

Match Information:

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Matchday: Everything you need to know