Click here to listen to Glenn on Kezie, and Kezie on Glenn!

 

…or click here for Warren Whitely’s special reason to want a place in the starting XI.

 

City will be under no weight of expectation when they meet Macclesfield Town in this Saturday’s massive FA Cup clash at Melbourne Stadium, kick-off 3:00pm, but Manager Glenn Pennyfather still rates the clash as “a realistic opportunity” of claiming a Football League scalp.

 

The Clarets take on Gary Simpson’s npower League Two side full of confidence having just completed a 19-match club record unbeaten run and the attention of the local and national press has focussed on this fixture as one of the key chances of an upset. Glenn revealed that his phone hasn’t stopped ringing from well wishers, newspapers and radio stations all week and he can’t wait for the action to begin on the pitch.

 

“It’s been a bit of a media circus, but we’ve made sure we’re out on the training pitch preparing for Saturday,” he explained, having already guided his team into Round Two once last season when Chelmsford were eventually defeated at Wycombe Wanderers’ Adams Park. “We’ve done our homework so we know what they’re all about. We’ve got to make sure we’re right - physically and mentally.”

 

“We’re in a win-win situation. I wanted a home draw and a realistic opportunity of progressing this year. Last year we went to Wycombe and made all the right noises but I knew it was going to be a tough ask. They were flying high at the time and were second or third in that division and on a bit of an unbeaten run themselves.”

 

But he believes the tables may have turned this time around with a more favourable pairing against the Cheshire club, continuing: “In this game we’ve got home advantage and I think Macclesfield have won one game in six against East Thurrock. In saying that, form goes out of the window in cup games, as does status.”

 

“It’s going to be a real good cup tie atmosphere, and a pulsating game. If we can get the supporters right behind us - I know the Claret Army will be there in full force - there’ll probably be nigh on 3,000 here on Saturday and that would be fantastic for our club. They can make it a real cauldron and play their part as that twelfth man.”

 

Pennyfather was named as the Blue Square Bet South Manager of the Month for November on Thursday and his in-form striker, Kezie Ibe, won the player award to make it a Clarets clean sweep. Ibe’s double-strike against Tonbridge Angels back on 1st October helped propel Chelmsford on their lengthy run and he sees no reason why his team can’t continue into the Third Round amongst the Premier Leaguers.

 

The former Arsenal front man claimed: “We’re going into the game with a lot of confidence on this run that we’ve built up and obviously it’s the FA Cup - anything can happen. We’re probably looked at as the underdogs so the pressure’s on them and we can just look forward to playing the game and seeing what comes out of it.”

 

City have still maintained their positive scorelines knowing this game was around the corner, Kezie adding: “I suppose it’s been at the back of each player’s mind in every game we’ve played in but I think the whole team have been really professional in the way we’ve been taking every game as it comes and concentrated on getting the results. We’ve waited for this game to come up, and it’s here now.”

 

Glenn’s walking wounded, midfielders David Rainford, Greg Morgan and Ricky Modeste, have all been receiving treatment in a bid to make Saturday’s squad, and their conditions will be constantly monitored up until hours before the game to assess their possibility of featuring. Long-term absentee Anthony Cook is still definitely out of action, but the City boss has no suspension worries.

Macclesfield are currently in mid-table in League Two with a handy defensive record at home in domestic competitions. Though their form on their travels is mixed and last week’s 2-1 defeat at strugglers Barnet caused the Silkmen great concern. Recent FA Cup exploits for Town have seen them travel to Stamford Bridge to play Chelsea under Jose Mourinho, and they’ll be keen to take another shot at the big boys.

 

Macclesfield Town: Address: Moss Rose, London Road, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 7SP. Phone: (01625) 264686. Position Last Season: 15th in npower Football League Two. Miles from Chelmsford: 210. Approx. Journey Time: 3 hours, 50 minutes. Nickname: The Silkmen. Team Colours: All Royal Blue. Ground Capacity: 6,355 (Seats 2,599). Official Website: www.mtfc.co.uk.

 

Weather Forecast: Sunny Intervals. 10 degrees Celsius. Wind 11 mph.

 

Blue Square Bet Odds: Chelmsford City 2/1, Draw 23/10, Macclesfield Town 6/5. Do you fancy a flutter? Then visit www.bluesq.com/fans where you can register to earn money for the Clarets when you open a brand new Blue Square account.

 

Follow the Clarets Online! Stay up-to-date with all the latest Clarets news, results, offers and information through the club’s brand new official Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/OfficialClarets or search for, and follow, ‘OfficialClarets’.

 

Budweiser Man of the Match: Did you know that you can now help to decide which player is awarded the official Budweiser Man of the Match for every game in The FA Cup this season? Head over to the Budweiser UK Facebook page and select the Man of the Match panel on the The FA Cup with Budweiser Hub during matches and your vote will count towards the final outcome. If you’re not near a computer you can still vote using the free official Budweiser Man of the Match app available for iPhones and on Android. If you’re over 18, cast your vote at www.facebook.com/BudweiserUK.