CUP SCOUT REPORT: MACCLESFIELD

After a perfect twelve point accumulation over the festive period, City's attentions to turn to F.A. Cup action this coming weekend.

Saturday sees the start of the third round of the F.A Cup - and a trip to Blue Square Premier side Macclesfield Town forMalky Mackayand his men. It will be the first time the two sides have met since a League Cup tie back in 2005 and it will be the third occasion that Cardiff City will travel North for a fixture at Moss Road.

The Silkmen currently lie tenth in the Blue Square Premier on thirty-three points. That leaves them seven points from safety and six points from the Play-Off places in what is proving to be a very competitive division. Their opposition in the last round were fellow Blue Square Premier side Barrow who lie bottom of the league. It took a 4-1 win in a replay to see off their opponents and guarantee their fixture against Cardiff City.

Macclesfield have won six of their thirteen games at home so far this season, notching up three draws and succumbing to four defeats. They have also scored more than they have conceded, netting nineteen times and conceding fourteen. Despite some disappointing results this season like losing at home to struggling Ebbsfleet, in the F.A Cup they pulled off a shock when they defeatedPaolo Di Canio’s away from home. Swindon currently lie fifth in League One and have beaten the likes of Stoke City and Burnley in the League Cup. No doubt then, that the Silkmen will be looking to add Cardiff to the list of third round giant killings come Saturday evening.Swindon Town

Key Players:. He has scored a total of eighteen goals so far with fifteen coming in the league and the other three in the F.A Cup. His form coming into this match is extremely good with him scoring twice in four minutes to earn the Silkmen a draw in their last outing; he has scored four goals in his last three games. The twenty-six year old is definitely a player to watch out for come Saturday afternoon. Matthew Barnes-HomerThere is one clear goal threat when you look at the Macclesfield Town squad and that is striker Chris Holroydis likely to partner Barnes-Homer up top for the Silkmen on Saturday, having chipped in with nine goals of his own this season. 

Macclesfield may be feeling a bit hard done by as they are without their speedy right-backRyan Jacksonwho picked up a red card against Southport last time out. They will also be without one of their play-makers in the shape ofJohn Paul Kissockas his loan period has expired. With the absence of Jackson in defence they will need the ever-presentCraig Braham-Barrettto be on top form. He has featured in every cup match and in every league match bar one this season. With Kissock leaving he is also the leader in terms of assists with four in total.

. He may not start the game on the weekend, but it was his thirty-five yard strike that did the damage when Macclesfield defeated Swindon Town in round two.Tony DiagneAnother player may worth mentioning is

 Previous Meetings:The sides have only met on five occasions in total and every one of these ties have been from 1997 onwards. The first time the sides met was after Macclesfield had been promoted into the Football League for the first time in their history. That season, the Silkmen did the double over City as they pushed for promotion - it was a very different story for Cardiff as they finished down in twentieth position. City then evened up the record with a double of their own in the 2000/01 campaign when they beat Macclesfield 2-0 at home and thumped them 5-2 at Moss Road. However, Cardiff have the superior record in terms of head-to-head wins as they won their fifth tie in the League Cup in 2005.

Last Meeting: Cardiff City 2 – 1 Macclesfield Town (20/09/2005)

Macclesfield Town lined up against Cardiff City in the League Cup second round after securing their spot by defeating Nottingham Forest 3-2 at the City Ground. The Silkmen would have been confident of another upset and it looked like another one was on the cards when they took an early lead after five minutes through midfielderMartin Bullock. It was not to be as Cardiff produced a second half comeback asJoe Ledleyequalised in the fifty-first minute andJason Koumassecured the victory with nine minutes left on the clock.

Cardiff City Line-up: Alexander, Darlington, Mulryne.Subs not used:Margetson, Weston, Purse, Barker, Cox, Ardley, Ledley, Parry (Koumas), Whitely, Lee, Fleetwood (Ferretti)