Macclesfield look to put brakes on Motors' run

On the face of it, having seen off Queen's Park Rangers, sixth in the Second Division, in the first-round proper, the giantkillers of Vauxhall Motors could afford to drop down a gear or two and still dispose of second-round opponents Macclesfield Town, 19th in the Third Division, when they meet at the Moss Rose this evening.

By winning on penalties at Loftus Road, where Phil Brazier's goal had earned the Ellesmere Port-based team a 1-1 replay draw, the Motormen emulated a feat first pulled off by today's opponents, whose shoot-out success at Chesterfield in the first round 10 years ago made Macclesfield, then of the Conference, the first non-League side to eliminate League opposition from the FA Cup on penalties.

Macclesfield joined the Third Division five years ago, but it is their recent experience of life outside the full-time professional game that concerns the Vauxhall Motors manager, Alvin McDonald, although his team are unbeaten in 19 games. "They understand non-League and won't take us lightly," he said. "That probably makes them more difficult opponents than QPR."

Under McDonald, Motors have won three promotions in five years, rising from the Second Division of the North West Counties League to the UniBond Premier, in which they were runners-up last year, a progression that has seen their status as a factory team change somewhat. Only the midfielder Carl Nesbitt actually works at the Ellesmere plant.

David Moss, the Macclesfield manager, insists there will be no upset. "We're the League team, they're not even a Conference side," he said. But Brazier disagrees.

"If we play like we did in the last 10 or 15 minutes against QPR, a few people watching on TV might be in for a surprise," he said.

Margate, of the Conference, take on Cardiff City, but it is the meeting of Harrogate Railway Athletic and Bristol City, divided by some 130 places in the pyramid, tomorrow that has captured the imagination.

City, who stuck seven goals past Heybridge Swifts in the first round, lie third in the Second Division, but will have encountered nothing to compare with the sloping Station View pitch. They can thank Sky Sports for that, the satellite channel having stepped in when BBC turned down the match, thus guaranteeing Railway £100,000 when they otherwise would have switched to a League ground in the hope of a larger take at the gate.

At least three non-League teams will reach the third round. Crawley meet Dagenham & Redbridge, Morecambe take on Chester and Southport face Farnborough in other second-round ties today.